Cruel Twist of Fate
by Lillyvee
Summary: But where to put you? ...It better be... Harry's heart sank, when he heard the sorting hat's verdict, and was dazed until a hand thumped him hard on his back and the loud cheering died down. "Good to see you on the better side Potter!" came the silky voice of Draco Malfoy. Rated M for later chapters just to be safe
1. It Happened Anyway

**A/N **

**Harry Potter is trademarked by J.K. Rowling. I do not own it and while I am simply altering the story a bit in this chapter, after this chapter, it will not be mostly by the book. I had to do it this way to get my story started. I'm trying to get in two chapters for each year to prolong the story more.**

**(I just hope I don't get in trouble for doing this!)**

**Thank you J.K. Rowling for giving is such a wonderful world and allow us to recreate it as we wish with FanFiction!**

**Please bear with me, my story is going slow and steady, I will try to update as quickly as possible.**

Chapter 1

It Happened

Eleven-year-old Harry Potter sat alone in his cabin, looking out the tall window watching trees and lakes go by. He knew it took a long while even for the glorious scarlet red train to get to the wide lands of Scotland from England and he was becoming restless and agitated in anticipation to be around his fellow witches and wizards at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Ever since the giant came to him in the cottage on the water and told him he was not normal never has been he has always been a wizard. The revelation of it excited the eleven year old but was quickly diminished when Hagrid had told him the real story of his parent's death. How could his aunt and uncle lie to him like that? Then again, he was talking about the Dursleys. The foolish last of his family that had made growing up miserable at every turn and locking him in that small cupboard under the stairs for as long as he could remember and wondered now if he had had a bedroom as an infant, he snorted

"Probably not..." he said aloud

The cabin door slid open and a small petite girl with wildly frizzy cinnamon curly hair and chocolate brown eyes stood in the doorframe. He noticed she was wearing the standard black robes with a white button up shirt and black tie.

"Have you seen a toad? Neville's lost one," she said in a bossily sort of tone that reminded Harry of his Aunt Petunia.

He shook his head slowly and the girl scoffed and made to close the compartment door when they locked eyes, chocolates to bright blues.

"Do you not know you could have repaired your glasses ages ago?" She asked suddenly settling herself across from him.

"What-"

She cut him off with her wand raised pointed at his face and said "Reparo"

Harry watched cross-eyed as the middle of his glasses repaired itself and the tape holding it together disappears. He pushed the newly repaired glasses up his nose more, pushed his hand through his messy raven hair, and noticed the girl gasp and cover her mouth with both of her small hands.

"Your Harry Potter" she said excitedly "I know all about you of course, you're in _Modern Magical History _and _The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts _and _Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century._" She explained smugly

"I am?" he questioned faintly

She nodded and smiled at him "I'd look into everything there is to know about yourself Harry. I'm Hermione by the way, Hermione Granger and I expect we'll be there soon so you might want to change into your robes," she said sternly, almost mother like he mused but nodded affirmation anyways.

Thanks for the heads up Hermione" he replied with a smile as she stood from her seat and walked out of the cabin, closing the door behind her.

Harry dug into his trunk quickly, rummaging around for his robes when the cabin door opened again

"Anything from the Trolley dear? came a woman's heavy Scottish accent. He looked up and saw a short plump older woman with white curly hair and blue eyes, much like his own. Her disposition was frumpy and bright; he could not help but to smile back at her.

"Yes please, I'll have the lot," he requested, looking around the trolley at all the different sweets he had never seen before.

The trolley owner took out one of everything, handed it off to him, and took his coins before smiling genuinely one last time before taking off to the next cabin.

He pulled his cabin door shut and slipped off his more than worn dirty clothes and put on his new crisp robes set. They felt strange against his skin, he could not undoubtedly believe these brand new clothes was all his, he had never had new clothes before. It was always his cousin Dudley's old things that he had grew out of every second of the day. Harry couldn't help but smile when he finished tying his tie and flopping back into his seat to demolish the sweets that were calling to him.

Harry finished off his mound of sweets just as the train gave a sudden shudder and stopped with loud resounding screeching and horn blow. He opened up his cabin and poked his head out. Students old and young were piling into the hallway conversing loudly and hauling their trunks and pets from their compartment. He proceeded to follow suit and followed the many students off the train.

He placed his snowy white owl on top of his trunk beside the already growing pile of belongings from other students and heard a familiar voice

"Firs' years, firs' years over here! Alright there Harry?" Hagrid asked booming over to escort the last of the first years over to him Harry beamed up at him and nodded before Hagrid ushered him over with the other eleven year olds. Harry stepped into one of the boats that Hagrid pointed out to him and settled beside a fair-skinned boy with fiery red hair and the cinnamon brown curly haired girl he had met earlier on the train. He could hear Hagrid talking from one of the other boats to the group at large

"Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec"

Harry fidgeted in his seat and looked up into the sky as the castle came into view. It was breathtaking Harry realized. Perched atop a high mountain, it's windows sparkling in the starry sky was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.

Soon the boats shuttered to a stop at a underground harbor and students were clambering out of the boats

"Oi you there, is that your toad?" Hargrid's booming voice called

A small plump boy turned around and his face turned red "Trevor!" he cried, scooping the toad up into his arms and holding him gently to his chest. The students followed Hagrid up the grassy grounds and up some stone steps before knocking on the castle door three times, turned around and bade them all good bye for now, and boomed down the way they had just come from.

~ ~ oo ~ ~

A tall black-haired witch in emerald green robes with a stern wrinkled face had them follow her up the stairs into the castle. It was marvelous Harry thought seeing the stone walls casting light by torches, a high vaulted ceiling and a beautiful marble stair case facing them must lead up to the upper floors, but how many Harry wondered. The elderly witch strolled across the flagged stone floor and stopped them in front of a large oak double door. Harry could hear hundred of voices wafting through the doors and realized that the who entire school must all ready be here save them, the first years. He snapped his attention when the elderly witch they were following began talking

"Welcome to Hogwarts, I am Professor McGonagall. The start of term feast will begin momentarily, but before you can take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The sorting is absolutely important because while you are here your house will be like your family. You will eat with your house, have classes with them, and sleep in your house's dorms. At the end of the year, the house with the most points will be awarded the house cup. Now if you will please wait a moment, I shall be right back." She said hastily before opening one of the double doors and slipping into the Great Hall.

"Never thought in a million years that I would have to share my years with famous Harry Potter" came a silky voice from amongst the small group of nervous students. The pale blond haired boy from the robes shop smirked and nodded curtly at Harry.

Harry stood in shock as the pale blonde-haired boy with stormy gray eyes strolled over to him and lifted his hand up into the air in front of Harry.

"The name's Malfoy. Draco Malfoy" the boy replied, receiving a scoff from the red haired boy from the boat causing Draco to spin on his heels and face the boy "Red hair, freckles, and more children than they can afford, My father told me all about you Weasleys. You have a problem?" he spat

The red head sneered but turned away as the double doors to the Great Hall opened and McGonagall looked down at them

"Form a line and follow me," she ordered, turning around and marching forward into the Great Hall. Harry couldn't help it, he was certainly in awe. The Hall was lit by thousands and thousands of floating candles hovering above four long tables where the rest of the students sat watching the first years intently and silently. Another long table sat in front where he assumed the teachers sat to be able to see over the students. They all halted before the teacher's table where a lonely wooden stool sat and a ancient looking brown pointed hat sat limp atop it. There was a unified gasp from the first years including Harry as the hat twitched, a rip near the brim opened up like a mouth and began to sing:

"_Oh you may not think I'm pretty,_

_But don't judge on what you see,_

_I'll eat myself if you can find_

_A smarter hat than me._

_You can keep your bowlers black,_

_Your top hats sleek and tall,_

_For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat_

_And I can cap them all._

_There's nothing hidden in your head_

_The Sorting Hat can't see,_

_So try me on and I will tell you_

_Where you ought to be._

_You might belong to Gryffindor,_

_Where dwell the brave at heart,_

_Their daring, nerve, and chivalry_

_Set Gryffindors apart._

_You might belong in Hufflepuff,_

_Where they are just and loyal,_

_Those patient Hufflepuffs are true_

_And unafraid of toil;_

_Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw_

_If you've a ready mind,_

_Where those of wit and learning,_

_Will always find their kind;_

_Or perhaps in Slytherin_

_You'll make your real friends,_

_Those cunning folks use any means_

_To achieve their ends._

_So put me on! Don't be afraid!_

_And don't get in a flap!_

_You're in safe hands (though I have none)_

_For I'm a Thinking Cap!"_

After the hat stilled once again, the hall burst into applause and was silenced seconds later by Professor McGonagall unrolling a piece of parchment

"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted." The witch announced naming off the first few students (Abbot, Hannah and Bones, Susan in Hufflepuff, Boot, Terry and Brocklehurst, Mandy in Ravenclaw. Brown Lavender first one to Gryffindor, following Granger, Hermione.)

Next to come was Bulstrode, Millicent, first in Slytherin.

The list went on with Corner, Michael (Ravenclaw) Crabbe, Vincent, Davis, Tracey (Slytherin) Finch-Fletchley, Justin (Hufflepuff) Finnigan, Seamus (Gryffindor) Goldstein, Anthony (Ravenclaw) Goyle, Gregory, Greengrass, Daphne (Slytherin) Hopkins, Wayne Jones, Megan (Hufflepuff) Longbottom, Neville (Gryffindor) MacMillan, Ernie (Hufflepuff) Malfoy, Draco (Slytherin) McDougal, Morag (Ravenclaw) Nott, Theodore, Parkinson, Pansy (Slytherin) Parvati, Patil, (Ravenclaw) Padma, Patil (Gryffindor)

Then finally,

"Potter, Harry" she called

Harry exhaled a deep breath and puffed out his chest as he climbed up on the stool and then suddenly became nervous when the hat was placed on him and the hall burst into murmurs

"Hmm...difficult. Very difficult indeed. Plenty of courage I see. Not a bad mind either. There's talent, oh yes and a nice thirst to prove yourself... but where to put you?

...It better be...

Harry's heart sank, when he heard the verdict, and was dazed until a hand thumped him hard on his back and the loud cheering died down

"Good to see you on the better side Potter!" came the silky voice of Draco Malfoy.

"Thanks mate" Harry replied somberly.

Harry barely managed to hear the rest of the sorting, Thomas, Dean (Gryffindor) Turpin, Lisa (Ravenclaw) Weasley, Ronald (Gryffindor)  
and Zabini, Blaise the final Slytherin to sit down. Harry's excitement came back a hundred folds after Dumbledore's speech about rules and regulations;

"The third floor corridor is off limits to those who do not wish a most painful death" He warned before sitting down at the staff table.

Mounds of food appeared in rows and rows upon their table. He was quick to pile his golden plate with food and begin eating.

"You look like you haven't eaten in years mate" Theodore Nott observed while gingerly rolling his food around his plate.

"I feel like it. My aunt and uncle treated me ridiculously growing up. I barely ate maybe one meal a day" Harry explained, trying not to reveal too much on growing up with muggles. Draco turned to him

"Hey Potter, meet Vincent Crabbe, Gregory Goyle, Theodore Nott, Blaise Zabini, Daphne and Astoria Greengrass, Tracey Davis, and Pansy Parkinson"

Each one nodded their greeting as they were introduced save Pansy and Astoria who both grinned and waved energetically at him.

"Hello" he replied after swallowing his food.

Pansy scooted closer to him and placed her hand lightly over his arm and smirked "Will you look at that." she jerked her head over at the Gryffindor table "Why in the world is a mudblood sitting there eating our glorious meals, she has no right to be here or have that wand."

Harry looked over at who Pansy was talking about. The small framed petite cinnamon brown curly haired witch he met on the train sat at the Gryffindor table obviously chatting to the red head he now knew was Ronald Weasley and a dark skinned boy named Dean Thomas. Harry had the urge to ask what mudblood was but he felt a sense of dirtiness to the word and refrained from saying it, he instead nodded in bewilderment and went back to eating his food. After the meal was over, the food and plates disappeared and bowls of ice cream appeared before each student. Harry ate it in a matter of seconds, regretting it afterwards. He clasped his hand to his forehead and groaned.

"Mate, has anyone ever told you not to eat cold things fast, it'll give you a head ache?" Draco snickered watching his newly found friend groan in pain and scrunch up his nose.

"I think I may have heard it..." Harry managed to say before another wave of pain hit him. He hadn't realized someone was pushing a small brown square of chocolate into his hands until he looked down and saw it laying in the palm of his hand. He looked up but no one was looking at him at the Slytherin table. He bit into it and felt the immediate resolve of his headache ebb away.

"Thanks" he whispered

~ ~ oo ~ ~

Harry, and the other Slytherin first years followed a tall sandy haired boy with green and silver robes down a set of stairs and into the darkness of the dungeons and stopped at a round portrait with a great emerald snake twisted around a ornate silver sword

"This is the Slytherin commons. The password is Salazar Behold." The sandy haired boy replied as the painting spun in a circle and the emerald snake came alive and spun around the hilt of the sword and hissed, swinging the portrait forward to reveal the room beyond. As Harry stepped in, he noticed the light casted around the room was green and daunting. He heard the prefect say, vaguely that the common room is set underneath the black lake and that is why the lighting is green.

Harry was awestruck at how beautiful the room was, how luxurious everything felt to him, he felt like a king. From the portrait hole, a foyer of sorts, then a set of stone steps leading down unto the flat stone of the wide-open sitting room, he noted there were no windows but he guessed why. The sitting room had a long black leather couch across from another slightly shorter black leather sofa, two chairs of the same fabric, they sat around a circle in front of a silver stoned fireplace. In the corner littered a few desks and more lounging furniture around a tall sturdy bookcase filled to the brim.

To the right of the desks was a pair of stairs heading down into the lower levels that housed the dorms. Fourteen doors stood erected in the lower levels, two doors for each year one boys and one girls. Harry entered the first year dorm alongside Theo and Blaise and claimed a bed near the back wall. The dorms were just as luxurious as the commons, but had enchanted windows just like in the Great Hall. The four-poster beds each had similar emerald green silk sheets and comforters and the curtains were shimmering silver silks. The bed was firm but Harry could care less, he was tired and wanted nothing more than to fall into his bed and sleep, which he did as soon as his head hit the pillow.

Morning came way too fast for Harry's liking, he wanted to turn back around a fall to sleep, but the insistent shaking of his shoulder woke him properly.

"Mate, you'll be late to charms if you don't get up."

Blaise was standing by the door and Theo had moved from his side to the wall and leaned against it waiting. Harry stretched himself out and yawned "I'm up, I'm up bloody hell it's morning." he mumbled as he swung his legs over the bed and onto the ground. He stretched again and stood up, shivering "Blasted cold castle" he whispered, walking into the bathroom and shutting the door behind him.

"It's Levi-osa not Levi-osar, here watch."

Harry admired the young witch from the back of the classroom where the Slytherins sat. He watched her scoff at Weasley for almost smacking her in her face with his wand and stopped him before he could do damage. Harry realized her brilliance right away, with every question, she immediately had a answer and was barely called on because it was unfair for the rest of the class he assumed. He watched with admiration as she successfully levitated her feather and got awarded ten points to Gryffindor.

"Potter, what are you staring at?" the silky smooth voice of Draco Malfoy interrupted his thoughts

"Nothing Malfoy, just thinking." he lied

Draco shrugged his shoulders and went back to practicing on his own feather. Harry swish and flicked his wand lazily at his feather with his wand speaking the spell clearly and it rose into the air a few inches and landed softly back onto his desk.

Potions was quiet after Professor Snape finished his lecture on the properties of a Bezaor, they had been ordered to create a Antidote to common poisons brew that had to be finished before class was dismissed, it was painstaking, but he was managing with a bit of encouragement from the bright witch he's been admiring all day

"If you crush this before adding it into the brew, it'll be easier to stir." she whispered quietly.

"Thanks" he whispered back, crushing his mistletoe berries with the flat of his knife, and adding it into his cauldron, he then heated his cauldron to medium temperature and stirred it three times clockwise.

"Very well Miss Granger five points to Gryffindor" Professor Snape replied, looking into the girl's cauldron. He visited Malfoy's cauldron then Harry's and received fifteen points to Slytherin. Harry was beginning to think this class was a bore until an explosion caught his interest. The dungeon rang out in laughter as the small black haired Irish boy turned beet red and stared at the floor. Professor Snape swung over to him and told him he was dismissed and that his brows were sure to grow back some day. More laughter filled the room as the students cleaned their cauldrons and exited the room.

"Hey Granger" Harry shouted down the corridor at the fleeting image of the cinnamon haired witch. Harry swore and sprinted after her. He finally caught up with the girl and noticed she had been crying.

"Granger, you left your potions book back in class. Here" He shoved it into her petite hands and strolled off towards the Great Hall, hands shoved into his pockets.

"Did you see his face!" Pansy barked, screeching in laughter smacking the table with the palms of her hands. Harry arched a brow watching Pansy in her uncontrollable fits of laughter, following with the rest of the Slytherins. Harry frowned and shook his head momentarily before glancing back over at the Gryffindor table, then back to his plate

"What's up Potter?" Theo whispered

"Nothing" he lied

"Come on, I know there is something up. You can tell me you know."

"Honestly..." he scoffed

"Yes?" Theo arched a brow

"Ok, what is a mudblood?"

Theo's brows raised and he chuckled softly "It's a witch or wizard who has completely muggle parents. Us purebloods don't believe that they deserve magic, they are filth." he explained with a venomous touch to his voice.

Harry averted his eyes to his plate and repeated the word "mudblood filth..."

"For instance, Granger over there at Gryffindor, she's a mudblood, I believe she is the only one here as far as I know that came from muggle parents."

Harry looked over at the Gryffindor table deep in thought

"So the purebloods and the mudbloods are enemies?" he asked suddenly

Theo arched a brow and looked inquisitively at Harry

"Naturally"

"Ok."

The first years met after lunch on the grounds outside the castle for flying lessons.

"UP!" Harry shouted, immediately the broom flew up into his hand and he grasped it tightly and watched amusingly at the others having difficulty, save himself and Draco.

"up. up. UP!" Weasley screamed causing his broom to fly up and smack him in his face. Harry snickered and Draco smirked.

"Hold your broom firmly in your hands and kick off the ground when I say, I warn you only hover a few above the ground." Madam Hooch was about to blow her whistle when the plum boy named Neville hovered above ground and flew off into the sky, his broom swaying wildly before slamming the boy into the side of the castle several times before tipping him off and flying back to the ground ownerless. He looked up and the boy was hanging by his robes on a stone statue of a gargoyle

"Help me!" The boy yelled.

Harry instinctively mounted his broom and kicked off hard from the ground and flew up into the sky. He saw a glint of something shimmering in the sun and dived after it, catching the ball inches from the ground, then circled around and halted underneath Neville. He raised the broom up a bit, so that Neville was positioned on his broom and his pudgy hands grasped firmly on his shoulders before hovering higher allowing the boy's robe to slip off the statue and lowered them both to the ground.

Madam Hooch's lips were pursed as she ran over to the two boys and yanked Neville off the broom and dragged him into the castle

"Everyone is grounded, If I see one broom up in the air I will personally have you expelled." She shouted over her shoulder.

Harry jumped off his broom and strolled courageously back to the Slytherins

"Nice one mate! You're a natural" Theo blurted, thumping him hard on his back "Though I would have let the stupid git up there and let his rememball suffer"

Harry laughed and shook his head "One time deal I think. Instincts is all it was." Harry explained

"Potter come with me."

Harry spun around and caught Professor McGonagall eyes

"Shite" he muttered as he reluctantly followed the ancient woman into the castle and down a few corridors and up a set of stairs to another few corridors before stopping at a wooden door and knock.

"Y...y...ye..sss? The professor asked

"May I have a word with Flint please" she asked

The professor nodded and a tall black-haired boy stood and exited the room

"I think you mentioned something to Professor Snape that no one tried out for seeker is this correct?"

"I did." Marcus looked curiously at Harry

"Well you should try him out, I've seen for myself that he is very natural at flying at speedy." McGonagall replied grimly

"Of course Professor." he bit out

~ ~ oo ~ ~

Harry walked silently through the corridors at half past eleven, his feet were pulling him in unknown directions while his mind wandered around the events that have come about since he started school. He knew now that Slytherins do not associate with mudbloods, half bloods, and blood traitors.

'A lot of blood.'

He couldn't help but admire the young Gryffindor witch, bright as a bulb if you asked him. '

Never misses a beat she don't.' He thought

He'd come to walk the corridors at the same time every night, just to get away from the commons and its inhabitants. He couldn't help thinking that this was not the house he truly belonged to, but in a way, it did. It confused him profusely when he actually took the time to think about it. But for tonight, his thoughts had been about the small cinnamon haired girl, Hermione... Hermione. He heard rumors that she has been locking herself in the second floor girl's lavatory and crying her heart out. He wondered if it was his mates making her cry, or even perhaps some of the other houses... He heard a few snide remarks from that Weasley kid and a few from a Ravenclaw, it was impossible to understand why they are all so hateful to each other. He'd been around muggles all his life, he knew they bled crimson just like he or Granger or anyone else at this school. He was certainly lost to that matter and followed his mate's gestures. They were training him without knowing it was happening, training him to be the wizard he should have been after birth...

His brow arched into his hair as he halted to see two figures crushed against the wall and heard Mr. Norris, Filtch's cat meowing near them

"What in Merlin's pants are you two doing out here?" he whispered, crushing up against the wall beside them

"I..was...uhm" Granger stumbled and kicked a pebble

"Dammit! Shh in here, hurry!"

"The door, it's locked" Weasley said, tugging on the knob

"Oh move" Granger replied, pushing Weasley and Harry out of the way

"Alohomora" she whispered and a soft click announced the door unlocking

"Go" Harry whispered urgently

They closed the door behind them and Harry rounded on her

"What the hell Granger, you could have gotten me in trouble" he spat

"You?" she shrieked

"Uh guys..."

"Yes me! I swear if I get caught with you two I will hex you up and down the corridors" he shouted

"Uhm guys..."

"Why were you out this late at night, if you knew you could get into serious trouble" she countered

"Because I can!" he defended

"GUYS!"

"WHAT!" They said in unison

They turned to Weasley and instantly backed themselves against the wall. A gigantic furry three-headed dog growled at them, the outer two heads lowered to snap at them while the middle barked veraciously at them.

"Get out, go!" Weasley shouted, turning and bounding out the door, down the stairs and into an adjacent hallway half way down to the Great Hall. Harry and Hermione caught up shortly after, weak kneed and breathing heavily.

"Did you.. Did you see what was under his foot?" Hermione asked catching her breath in big gulps

"No, we were more worried about the three heads!" Weasley answered sarcastically

"A trap door" Harry replied

"Yes exactly. Whatever it's hiding, must be very valuable." she concluded

"How do you know it's hiding something?" Harry inquired

"I just have a feeling Potter, okay. I'm going to bed before you think up another clever idea to get us killed, or worst expelled." She said pointedly to Weasley then spun on her heels and stormed up the staircase

Harry rolled his eyes and without another word, left Weasley standing alone and strolled into the dungeons.

Harry always loved Fridays, Friday was a free day, and he would spend it hanging out in the commons with Pansy, Theo, and Blaise. He played against an equally good opponent in Wizard's chess, Draco who beat him numerous times but equally lost the same amount.

"Queen to A 5. Check"

Draco's brows furrowed

"Knight to A 3"

Harry barked out a laugh and shook his head "Well done mate. Castle to A 3" Harry watched his castle slide across the board two squares, levitate over Draco's knight and slam itself down on top of the knight, shattering it to pieces.

"Damn it! Bishop to E 7" The two watched Draco's Bishop slide sideways across the board, raise his staff and swipe it across one of Harry's pawn's midriff thus slicing it in half and moving itself onto the square the pawn had been

Harry chewed his bottom lip while his eyes skirted around the board.

"AH! Knight to B 1" Harry could barely hold in his excitement when his knight slid across the board, took out it's sword, raised it high above his head and slam it down the middle of Draco's King, slicing it in half

"Check mate."

Draco groaned and flipped the board off the table

"Easy killer." Theo said snidely

"You suck Potter."

"I suck Malfoy? I think not!"

Draco scoffed and flopped back down on the couch

"So I hear that mudblood is stirring all kinds of trouble lately" Harry began

"I heard she locks herself in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom and cries her itty bitty heart out because widdle boys are questioning her about her femininity" Pansy chimed in

Draco and Harry burst out laughing

"I heard something yesterday that put me in a fit of laughter, that Irish kid, Seamus? He said he deliberately snuck the wrong ingredient into her cauldron just so it would explode leaving the mudblood singed and Gryffindor a whole twenty points out. I may hate them, but damn good pranksters" Harry said

"Just wait until our first Slytherin/Gryffindor pairing. I bet we can pull off the ultimate prank against the mudblood" Draco added with a nod

~ ~ oo ~ ~

Harry only had to wait a total of three weeks into his first term for their first paired potions assignment. The ten Slytherins sat at their table at the illustrious Halloween feast putting on the final touches of their illicit Project Prank the Mudblood. Harry had chosen to sit himself on the left side of the table so he could view the Gryffindor table. Like always, it had become a habit in the two months he had been at school to sit in that very same spot during his feasting hour. When he chanced a glance while his friend's heads were huddled over the table discussing the finality of their plans, he immediately knew something was off, someone was missing…

Everyone's head spun towards the Great Hall doors as they erupted open and a teacher stumbled over himself up the aisle screaming

"Troll! In the dungeon! There is a troll, in the dungeons!"

As the man fainted, he added

"Thought you ought to know"

Harry watched in slow motion as Dumbledore rose from his seat along with the other teachers and noticed the students had not registered what was said for a moment, for they sat silently watching the man lay still on the ground. Suddenly, all the students cried and screamed, stumbling out of their seats and trying to get out of the Great Hall.

"SILENCE! Will everyone please not panic. Now..." Dumbledore said calmly, looking out upon his students over his half-moon spectacles "Prefects will lead their houses back to their dormitories; teachers will follow me into the dungeons."

Harry and his Slytherin mates mingled into the crowd outside the Great Hall and he overheard that Neville kid say that little witch, Granger has been in the lavatory and wondered if she knew about the troll. Instinctively, he purposely fell back into the crowd and upon seeing an opening between students, he tore off, heading for the second floor girls lavatory, bumping into the young Weasley kid as he had skidded to a halt in front of the door.

"What are you doing here Potter?" he sneered

"I could ask you the same question Weasley" Harry snapped, yanking the door open and running in, only to stop dead and be bumped into by Weasley which in turn announced their arrival of a tall grey troll with a lopsided mouth and a dumbfounded expression. He groaned loudly and raised his sickly green club and Harry pushed Weasley out of the way and dived to the side as the club struck the ground where the pair of them had been previously standing.

When he shot his head up, the troll had turned back around and was striking down a sink that was beside the one Granger was huddled under. She screamed and Harry took the incentive to grab onto the troll's club as it was being raised and dropped down onto the back of the troll's neck. The troll groaned and swayed this way and that, trying to throw off the boy. When Harry was jerked forward, not really having a plan at this point, he jabbed his wand into the troll's nose hoping to throw it off, failing miserably when the troll roared and swung his hand back, grabbed Harry's leg and dangled him above the stone ground that was the bathroom.

"Do something!" he cried, lifting his head up as the troll swung his club at him, nearly missing his head by inches

"What!" the red head boy shouted, looking around

"Anything!" he lifted his head again for a narrow miss from the troll's club

"Swish and flick!" Hermione cried, doing the hand motions in the air

"Wingardium Levisoa"

The club that was raised into the air about to have another go at his head slipped out of the troll's grasp and landed with a loud thud on top of its head. Harry fell out of the trolls grasps and quickly fleeted backward as the troll lolled for a moment then fell ungracefully to the ground.

"Is it dead?" Hermione asked, walking towards the two boys

"I don't think so, just knocked out." Harry replied, taking another look at the downed troll, then squatted and removed his wand from the trolls nose

"Yuck troll bogeys" Weasley chimed in as McGonagall, Quirrell and Snape ventured in

"Oh my goodness!" McGonagall tumbled backwards a step with her hand upon her chest. "Explain yourselves, both of you!" McGonagall fumbled

"Well it was.." the boys started in unison

"It was my fault professor McGonagall…" Hermione cut the boys off

"Miss G..Granger" McGonagall replied softly in a disbelieving tone

"I went looking for the troll" she started, averting her eyes to her feet "I've read about them and thought I could handle it. But I was wrong and if Ron and Harry hadn't come to find me, I probably would have been dead" she explained, looking seemingly on the verge of tears when she locked eyes with Harry and just as quickly put on a innocent deferential face and looked up at McGonagall.

"Be that as it may, It was an extremely foolish thing to do Miss Granger!"

Harry looked over at Snape and down his leg, he noted the leg of his trousers were ripped and a stream of blood was dripping down his exposed flesh, Harry looked oddly at it then snapped his head back up when he realized Snape had noticed him and threw his robe in front of himself.

"I would have expected more rational behavior from your part and I'm very disappointed in you Miss Granger." McGonagall reprimanded, "Five points will be taken from Gryffindor for your serious lack of judgment."

She turned to Harry and Ron "As for you two gentlemen, I just hope you realize how fortunate you are. Not many first year students can take on a full-grown mountain troll and live to tell the tale! Five points..." She paused "Will be awarded to both Gryffindor and Slytherin, for sheer dumb luck" McGonagall gave them a stern look, turned, and walked out of the bathroom.

Harry entered the common rooms hoping to just go to his dorm and sleep off the event he had narrowly managed to escape from, but as it were his luck had run out with the troll. Draco was sitting sideways on the leather chair and Pansy, Theo, Blaise, Tracey, Daphne, and Astoria were sitting on the couch with Blaise and Theo sitting on either side of the couch arms. They had all looked up together when Harry emerged through the portrait hole

"Where have you been Potter?" Draco asked, throwing a ball up into the air and then catching it repeatedly.

"I got lost. Teacher found me…," he mumbled, hoping that would fill their minds for the night, which much to Harry's relief it did.

"So" Draco smirked, swinging his legs over the couch and rolling out the parchment onto the table as Harry sat between Pansy and Daphne

"This is the plan, Harry, Pansy, and Theo will corner the Mudblood here." Draco pointed to a position on a roughly made map of Hogwarts and looked up at the three in question and arched his brow

"This is when Blaise and Astoria will come up from behind the tapestry of the witch in black and place the stunning spell on her. Daphne, Tracey, and I will come from behind the Statue of Caile, cast the boils charm while Daphne adds the modification, and Harry will feed the potion Snape gave us to her." Draco had stood and began to pace the common room some while ago as he spoke. He did not even care if any of the fourteen Slytherins sitting around the common room heard him.

"Right, that's when Crabbe and Goyle, who are on look out, will give us time to get back into hiding before summing a charms book to smack her in the head repeatedly, thus waking her up." Theo chimed in with a smirk and Draco nodded with a grin

"Oh this is going to be good." Pansy added, shrieking with laughter, causing them all to burst into fits of laughter.

"This will go down in history I hope!" Astoria squealed

"Hey mate what's up?" Theo had dropped his voice, noticing Harry looked a little uncomfortable, and only fake laughing.

"Nothing"

Theo raised a brow, then shrugged it off and rejoined the laughing Slytherins.

Harry waved them night and headed down into his dorm. Laying in bed, he decided from this night forward he will start becoming a true Slytherin. The sorting hat must have placed him here for a reason and he figures it will not change so he best start acting the part no matter what, and get the mudblood out of his head.

He nodded to himself, placed his glasses on the nightstand, and fell asleep instantly

**A/N Sorry! I need to end it here, next chapter will be up ASAP I promise!**


	2. Christmas Pranks Fit For Weasley's

**A/N I never have owned Harry Potter and Co. Just so you know.**

**I am soooooooo sorry it has taken so long! I do hope it was worth the wait! ( Decided to make them 3 chapters each, hopefully)**

**I want to thank my readers and reviewers. I absolutely appreciate your opinions on this and if you have ideas for me, please do not hesitate to PM me! I'd love to hear your ideas for Slytherin Harry and Co.**

**Also I would like to add that this chapter could never have been added as quickly if it wasn't for my dearest and most kind beta/friend psychoyoshi79**

Chapter 2

Christmas Pranks Fit For Weasleys

Hermione was the last to leave charms class the very next day, hugging her books tightly to her chest. Pansy, Harry, and Theo stalked into the corridor from in front and behind her, successfully cornering her into a nearby wall

"W-what t-the..." she trailed off, beginning to tremble

"'Ello Granger" Theo grinned

"W-w-what are y-you d-doing?"

Her eyes grew big as the Slytherins blocked her view and her trembling stopped under the full body-binding spell that toppled her over onto her face with a silent "oomph" and a loud thud.

Draco jumped out from hiding, snickering as he strolled over to the petrified body on the ground and kicked its side before crouching down with his wand in hand and casted the boils charm as Daphne quickly recited a spell to modify the boils on her face.

Harry bent to the ground on his knees and placed the fingers of his right hand at the edge of her mouth and hooked the inside of her lips and pried her mouth open, took the uncorked phial from Draco and poured it down her throat. He pulled his hand away from Granger's mouth and stood up.

"Let's get out of here" Pansy whispered, turning and returning to her hiding place followed by the rest of the eight Slytherins and watched Crabbe and Goyle hide behind a tapestry and summon two charms books out of the classroom that began to smack the girl in the head repeatedly.

The ten Slytherins were able to make it to the Great Hall before Granger could wake up and curse them all into oblivion, but only just. As soon as they sat down at their house table, Granger walks in unbeknownst of the sickly green and yellow boils all over her body and sits down at the Gryffindor table slightly unnerved.

"Uh... Hermione..." Ron began

"Ronald! How are you!" she shrieked in a dreamy like voice, a boil on her face popped exploding puss onto the table. The Gryffindors sitting around them gasped in unison and scooted away as the boil sealed itself again

He jumped, startled by her appearance "Uhm..."

"You're pretty," she said dreamily gazing at him thoughtfully, another boil popping puss everywhere

"Wha-" Ron tried, looking utterly disgusted and unable to complete sentences

"Ooh let's go to the library!" she squealed and Ron swung his legs over the bench, vomiting violently on the ground repeatedly as Granger furrowed her eyebrows and looked disgusted.

The entire Slytherin table burst into absurd laughter as the entire school watched in horror at Granger for every time she spoke, a boil on her skin would pop with large amounts of puss then reseal itself to await explosion yet again. The ditzy, boil covered Granger got worse until the Gryffindor prefect,Percy Weasley stood up and directed the plump boy Neville to take her to the infirmary. He jumped up and came over to her, then took her hurriedly out of the Great Hall as he told her what was going on as they marched out, her cheeks became redder than a Weasley's hair. As the doors shut, uproars of laughter rang throughout the Great Hall, all houses uncontrollable and inconsolable. Dumbledore rose from his chair

"SILENCE!" He shouted

The Hall became immediately silent.

"Now. I am quite sure no one will come and take the fault so I suggest that whoever you are; think hard about the consequences and retaliation you will receive from this. Miss Granger is not someone easily reckoned with and I am sorry to say, I am not going to be in the least bit feel sorry for that said person. Soon we will know who it was." He said amusingly, eying the Slytherin table from the corner of his eye.

"What does he know?" Harry snorted, biting into his piece of toast

Draco smirked and snickered behind his hand. "Good ol' Dumbledore thinks he can get us to talk"

Pansy barked out a laugh and hid her mouth behind her hands "Too good! Good thing that ditz potion won't wear off for three days"

"Nor that there is a cure for stupidity!" Astoria added, giggling along with her sister Daphne

"I've got one last Quidditch practice before the first game this weekend. See ya" Harry put down his half eaten toast and left the Great Hall quickly.

~ ~ oo ~ ~

Hermione followed Neville out of the hall

"Mione, you have really disgusting boils all over your body. Every time you speak..." His voice wavering, he gulped hoping she would not respond back to him "A boil explodes." he finished. She looked lazily at him and gave him a dreamy smile but said nothing.

"That too is a little bit unnerving Mione..."

"What?" she asked, causing another boil to pop and explode onto a nearby wall

Neville jumped and gulped "Don't speak Mione, please for the sake of my nerves! Please don't speak!"

They made it to the infirmary and Neville skirted away to find Madam Pomphrey as Hermione lowered herself to a cot and began peering at her hand like it was a interesting book. Moments later, Ron walked in holding a pail and sat down a full two-bed length from Hermione.

"Miss Granger you have some nasty modified boils. I will have to ask Professor Snape for an advanced cure for boils. Just relax and don't talk." She ordered and did a double take now noticing Ron

"Mr. Weasley, why are you here?" she asked bustling over to him

"I- well I uhm" He took one glance over at Hermione and dry heaved over his pail

"I see, well I believe a simple pepper up potion and rest will put you back on your feet in no time." She replied waving her wand to pull the curtain around his bed and added a silencing charm for good measures before bustling off again to retrieve the potion from her stores.

"I trust you have fully recovered Mr. Weasley?" Madam Pomfrey asked coming around to his bedside early afternoon the next day. He nodded meekly and got off the bed as she waved her wand to change the sheets. He thanked her and walked out of the Infirmary quickly. Poppy walked over to Hermione's bed, pulled the curtains, and roused Hermione from her sleep.

"I am happy to inform you that your boils are gone. We do however have another problem and I cannot find a single cure for it." Pomfrey sighed sitting on the edge of the cot as Hermione blinked at her and sat up with a worried look.

"It seems you were given a highly potent intelligentia exhauriunt potion. It causes the drinker to become… in short less intelligent. Since it is an advance formula and coupled with your brains it has effectively made you considerably dumber." She explained watching Hermione easily come to terms with what she said, giving Poppy and slight uneasy feeling that Hermione just was not understanding her.

"I figure it will only last for two more days. I want you to stay here for the remaining week." With that, she nodded to Hermione and walked into her office.

Harry gulped down the bile rising in his throat as he and the rest of the Slytherin Quidditch team exited the changing room and walked out onto the field. The crowd was booing and cheering from their stands high above the pitch as they and the Gryffindor team met in the middle of the field.

"Captains shake hands" Madam Hooch called from the side lines, eyeing the two team captains.

Harry watched as Marcus Flint and Oliver Wood shook hands none to nicely and return to their sides of the pitch. Harry followed his team and mounted his broom, suppressing his fear and managing to hold back his urge to vomit his nerves.

"I want a clean game, No tricks!" Madam Hooch ordered as she then counted down from three and blew her whistle. Each member from both sides kicked off the ground hard and tore into the sky with amazing speed, only to circle around the pitch and get into position above the field.

When every member was settled, Hooch kicked the trunk open and out flew the two Bludgers, the Quaffle, and the snitch at the same time and the game began.

The snitch circled around Harry, then around Jack Sloper then flew off speedily. Harry squinted but could not see the snitch anywhere on the field at this point but he kept his eyes sweeping around the field.

"And another goal to Gryffindor!"

Harry heard the commentator, Lee Jordan yell three more goals in Gryffindor's favor, Harry knew he needed to catch the snitch soon or Gryffindor would surely win. Harry flew around the pitch once, twice but to his dismay, he did not see the golden glint of the snitch.

"Ouch! That had to have hurt!"

Harry gazed over in time to see a Bludger slam into Oliver Wood and him fall the hundred feet or so to the ground. Six goals later from Slytherin and two from Gryffindor, Harry finally saw the snitch and zoomed after it with Jack following closely. Harry pushed the front of his broom down and Jack followed pursuit and was now beside Harry, elbowing him several times. Down, down, down they went at high speeds only to get closer and closer to the ground, Jack pulling up and evening out just before reaching the ground, Harry suddenly mere inches from the ground, pulled up to even out his broom and took to standing upon it barely balancing.

It seemed the game had stopped entirely for Harry did not hear any goals received, nor heard cheers and boos coming from the stands, everyone and everything it seemed was silent at that point. Harry inched forward on his broom, reaching further and further out until quite suddenly his broom toppled and flipped him, landing on the ground in a heap. A large gasp released from the entire pitch as Harry stood and placed his hand on his stomach. He dry heaved once, twice and on the third, the snitch popped out of his mouth and into his hands. He raised it up high above his head.

"Aaamazing Catch! Slytherin wins!"

Madam Hooch rushed over to Harry and thumped him on his back

"Good going Potter! Yes, never seen that before but still a catch no doubt. Good Job." She smiled briefly and rushed back to the sidelines as the rest of Slytherin and his team mates met him in the field with congrats and good jobs for the whole team.

Lunch was all but a quiet affair. Slytherin and the three other houses were still going on to each other about the game

"Can you believe that catch!" and "Wow I can't believe he actually swallowed it!" along with many other disbelief were heard throughout the hall.

"Hey Potter, great game today" Draco smirked at him

Harry smirked back and replied "Thanks Malfoy" He turned to Daphne and smiled as she came over and sat beside him, kissing him on the cheek as she settled herself and began to scoop small portions of food onto her plate. The Great Hall was overrun by owls moments later, dropping mail, and packages alike down in front of the students. A great silver eagle landed gracefully upon the Slytherin table in front of Draco, who untied the note from the eagle's leg and handed it half a biscuit then it turned and flew away.

"My father." Draco mumbled in response to Harry's quizzical expression.

Harry nodded and turned to converse with Daphne while Draco read his mail. After a while Harry learned a great deal about Daphne and her family, she didn't seem at all like most of the Purebloods in Slytherin Harry thought. He was about to tell Daphne about his aunt and uncle but stupid himself quickly.

"Hey Potter, father asked me to inform you of a cordial invite to the Malfoy Manor during the summer break."

Harry's face lit up slightly but then as quickly as the emotion came, it was hidden behind a facade. "Well I suppose there is no way to tell Mr. Malfoy no, so I guess you can tell him yes?" Harry replied as Draco grabbed a blank piece of parchment and a quill out of the tan colored bag he always carries with him and began to write his reply to his father.

The students retired to their common room after lunch, some going down to their dorms for naps and others braking off into their own groups and settling themselves around the common's many resting areas. Harry was surprised when Daphne took his arm and drug him out of the portrait hole with her. After a bit of silence and a walk up to the second floor did Daphne choose this time to speak.

"Harry, I was in the library yesterday"

Harry surprisingly nodded his head, out of all the Slytherins he really knew, Daphne was one to work hard on her studies in stead of loafing around and never did she present herself as being more prestigious than anyone around her. Harry had noticed this near the beginning of term when he had first started talking to her and became part of a group.

"I found a book."

Harry snorted "Don't you always find books in a library Daphne?"

Daphne's brows furrowed and she smacked him playfully on his arm and continued.

"It was _Famous Witches and Wizards of All Times_. It had you in it, along with your parents-"

She trailed off when she noticed Harry's hurt expression creep up.

"Uhm- listen Harry, I like you okay" she said quickly, changing the subject.

Harry was a bit surprised by this, he quickly responded "I like you too Daphne."

He started relaxing a bot when she had told him in secrecy that her views on people who are not strictly pureblooded was different from her sister's and many other Purebloods that take up house in Slytherin. Harry told her that since he was one, he had been living with his muggle aunt and uncle and his cousin Dudley who is the same age as Harry.

He went on for nearly an hour telling her about how horrendous living with them had been, being starved, sleeping underneath their stairs since as long as he remembered, being their servant... He ranted all the way from the fourth floor down to the entrance hall and was rather pink in the face when he finally ended his ranting with the story about his Aunt and Uncle travelling far away from London with him and his cousin to get away from the Hogwarts acceptance letters. He was surprised that Daphne had been so quiet, listening to every single word he had been saying. They climbed through the portrait hole and sat down on the couch beside Draco.

"Oi Potter, forewarning, you should be getting mail from my mum soon. She has, unfortunately fallen in love with you."

"What in the Merlin's pants have you been telling them Malfoy?" Harry asked in a jokingly manner

"You wish you knew Potter" Draco smirked.

To Harry's astonishment, Just as Draco had said, he received his first mail since starting school during breakfast the next morning. It was sent by the majestic silver eagle that usually brought Draco his mail every day. In it's beak were two letters, one addressed to Draco and the other to him. He smiled and took both letters from the eagle and handing Draco his before tearing into his own

_Harry,_

_You must think me strange to be writing to you, since we do not know each other_

_but I must say, Draco has told me much about you and I am more than delighted to know_

_that you and Draco are friends. Congratulations on being in Slytherin, I know it is_

_very late for this, but you see I realize there has been no one to tell you this so I have _

_done it myself._

_My husband and I look forward to seeing you this summer, have a good Christmas Harry._

_Mrs. Narcissa Malfoy _

Harry was purely thrilled to receive his first letter, that he had to read it several times over to make sure it wasn't just a trick. After the fourth, Harry now knew with certainty that this was in fact a letter written by Draco's mother for him. He tucked it neatly into his robe's pocket and went on eating his food.

"What did my mother have to say Potter?" Draco asked, sitting on the arm rest of the couch in their common room

"Don't you wish you knew Malfoy?" Harry stated with a smirk

Blaise snorted, regaining his composure quickly when he got a death glare from Draco.

"Seeing as she is my mother, I have the right to know." he snapped defensively

"This letter is mine, addressed to me, so it is private. I don't go reading your letters do I?" Harry sneered, temper rising

Draco shook his head and retired to the dorms for an early night.

~ ~ oo ~ ~

Harry and Draco sat in the commons for their free day before the holiday break and had just finished their third game of wizard's chess in which Harry won once while Draco won the other two. Both boys had not talked much since the prank was completed; they had all decided to let it stew for a bit so they would not be targeted.

"Where are you going for Christmas holiday?" Draco asked suddenly

Harry was a bit shocked by the sudden question and took him a few moments to recover before answering "I'm most likely going to be staying here, don't have anywhere else to go." He fiddled with the snitch he had caught in his first game yesterday, winning Slytherin over three hundred and fifty points sliding them barely into first place in the match. He had been grateful that he was sent his new Nimbus before the match or he probably never would have been able to win.

He had been so intent on catching the swift little gold ball that when he had stood on his broom that was hovering inches above the ground, he toppled it throwing him off the broom and spitting up the snitch that he had swallowed. At least by technical standards he did "catch" the snitch Madam Hooch had told him afterwards.

"I'll be going back to the manor with Blaise and Pansy. Daphne and Astoria are going home as well as Tracey but Theo is staying here from what I heard."

Harry nodded and relaxed a bit now knowing he was not going to be completely alone for the duration of Christmas, even though Theodore Nott had a bit of an airy arrogance to him, and Harry was still getting used to it. He was just happy that he did not have to go back to the Dursley's, not yet anyways…

"Harry!" Daphne called, walking over to him and hugging him tight "We're about to leave, I thought you could come see us off?" she looked pleadingly at Harry and pouted her lips

"Alright, come on then." He called and stood from his seat and put on his winter coat, hat, and gloves as both girls happily took each of Harry's arms and walked with him up the dungeon corridor to the entrance hall. They proceeded out to the carriages when they convinced him that he must make sure they are on the carriages before he could return to the common room. Daphne and Astoria in turn kissed both of Harry's cheeks and climbed into the carriages, waving good-bye as he returned them and turned to quickly walked back into the warm castle. He bumped into Hermione on his way inside.

"Harry, uhm… listen" She dropped her voice "I haven't had a chance to talk to you since after Halloween, I talked to Hagrid about the three headed dog and he said Fluffy-"

Harry cut her off "Fluffy? That's its name?"

Hermione nodded "Fluffy was put there to guard something, something to do with Nicolas Flamel. Now I have looked it up in the library but could not find a thing. I think since you're staying here, you ought to have a look in the restricted section."

Before Harry could reject, she pulled her trunk around him and exited the castle. Harry sighed and reluctantly went back to the dungeons only to find the common room empty and trunks gone. Harry sighed once more before retiring to his room to nap before dinner in the Great Hall.

Theo poked Harry with his wand in the shoulder, then smacked him in the head with his potions book

"Oi Harry wakey, wakey" Theo called

Harry jolted and sat up quickly "What?"

"Dinner." Theo said simply before exiting the dorm

Harry ran all the way up to the Great Hall and rested on the wall beside the doors, heaving. He calmed himself before entering the hall nonchalantly and settling at the end of the Slytherin table beside Theo.

"Hey Theo, have you ever heard of Nicholas Flamel?" Harry whispered, piling his plate with turkey, stuffing, and ham. Theo raised his brow but did not immediately answer the question.

"I have, my father has mentioned him before. He just celebrated his six hundred and sixty sixth birthday last year I think. Why do you ask?"

"Erm curious? I read something about him in the Library last week and I was just wondering if anyone else has ever heard of him." Harry lied

Theo shrugged "Mr. Flamel is a famous Alchemist from what I heard. He found out the hard way that, in order to successfully transmute an object, you must first have the right formula and then and only then can you change the object of equal or greater value. He lost his son…" Theo trailed off "Anyway I'm getting carried away. He eventually created this object called the Sorcerer's Stone. In general, it is used as an elixir of life able to sustain the human life indefinitely." He raised his brow at Harry's confused look "It essentially means you can never die Harry." He explained

"Oh. It sounds like it's a very wanted item…" Harry replied looking upwardly at the high table at Snape and Quirrell talking quietly to each other, their heads bent in close. Harry's brows furrowed, even though he had began respecting Severus since he had helped them pull off the prank against Granger, he still could not shake the feeling that something was a bit off with him. Harry watched Severus look up from the obvious heated discussion and watched his gaze sweep the hall and rest on Harry, giving him an odd sort of curious look before returning to his conversation with Quirrell.

"You are very correct. It is highly sought for by muggles and wizards alike. Numerous battles have raged from Wizard to Wizard or Muggle to Muggle and only on occasion Wizard to Muggle, but you already know how that ends."

"Naturally"

Theo nodded and took a long sip of his pumpkin juice as Harry's eyes met Dumbledore's briefly before Dumbledore turned to converse with McGonagall. Harry wondered if it was possible that that very stone was here at Hogwarts underneath the trap door, he had remembered what Hagrid had said at Gringotts about Hogwarts being the second most secured place besides Gringotts. Harry went back to his dorm and fell into his bed, mulling over all the information he had just gotten from Theo and reminded himself to tell Hermione what he heard when the holidays were over. He fell asleep soundly after a while.

~ ~ oo ~ ~

He awoke early Christmas Day and sat up in bed to see a small bundle of presents on top of his trunk. He crawled out of his covers, sat Indian style at the end of his bed, grabbed the first present, and read the note:

_Harry._

_Your father left this in my possession before he died. _

_It is time it was returned to you. _

_Use it well._

He flipped the note over and arched a brow then delved into ripping the paper as quickly as possible, 'father's possession would be a treasure' Harry thought pulling the cloth out of the rest of the paper and looking at it curiously. He realized it was a cloak and he noticed that in his hands, the material felt like silk; it was silvery almost transparent Harry decided

"What's that?" Theo had risen from his own bed and his voice was still gravelly from sleep

"It's a cloak I assume. There was no name on the card so I don't know who sent it but it was my father's…"

"Wait" Theo crossed over to Harry's bed and sat down to examine the cloak closer.

"Sweet Merlin! It's an invisibility cloak!" Theo cried

Harry wrapped himself with it and his body disappeared leaving his head to seem like it was floating in thin air

"My body is gone!" Harry shouted

"Those are pretty rare you know, wonder how your father got it." Theo picked up the card and read it then flipped it over just as Harry had earlier.

"Interesting. Well Happy Christmas Harry" he said standing up and returning to his own bed and delving into his large pile of presents

"Happy Christmas Theo"

Harry finished unwrapping his presents and got loads of candy from Dumbledore, new potions set from Severus, A nice new crisp set of robes from Mrs. Malfoy, a book called '_Famous Witches and Wizards of all Times'_ from Daphne, and a couple of muggle books from Hermione, in which he hid from the public eye. He knew enough about the other Slytherins that if they knew who sent the books, he would lose his status as number two of ten. When they came up with the prank, they had decided that Draco was number one and he, number two while Blaise was three and so on, at first he thought it was funny but now he realizes it is status in the Slytherin pureblood standards. He was certainly glad that none of the others asks him about his past or makes fun of him for only being half blood, he rather liked the fact they had easily accepted him into their group and treat him with as much respect as they do each other.

Harry stepped out of the common room and walked up to the Great Hall for breakfast. He had noticed the Weasley twins and their younger brother sitting at the Gryffindor table talking with their heads together. He sat across from Theo and piled his plate.

"I think we're going to have some trouble." Harry told Theo who was engrossed in a book. He looked up from his book and frowned

"What are you on about?"

"Weasleys." He whispered tilting his head up towards the Gryffindor table. Theo turned his head to look over his shoulder and then turned it back towards Harry

"You may be right. I have heard rumors about the twins. They are quite nearly better pranksters than Peeves himself. I heard last year, they sent chocolates to Snape under a false name. Let's just say Snape was extra lovable for a week…"

"Unbelievable." Harry replied shaking his head

"I assume you think they know we were part of the prank?" He asked Harry stabbing his toast with his fork several times

Harry did not immediately answer, his attention was on the three Weasley boys at Gryffindor table, he was straining to catch what they were saying, or attempting to read their lips, neither was successful so Harry returned to looking down at his plate

"I think they know it was Slytherins. Granger only saw Pansy, you and I cornering her; she didn't see Daphne and Draco stun her." Harry explained, biting into a piece of toast

They ate in peace for some time then Harry decided to dawn his winter jacket and accessories and take a walk around the black lake, which was proving harder than he had originally thought. The snow here was thick and deep and Harry had resorted to trudging through it instead of trying to walk in long strides to stay above it. He casted Flipindo on the ground near the shore and watched the snow melt before him and waited a few minutes before settling himself down on the ground and looking out upon the lake. He saw the giant squid knocking on the ice above, trying to get loose from the cold ice Harry thought.

"You know I use to come out here for peace and quiet too." Harry swirled around and saw Dumbledore standing behind him looking upon him with his twinkling sapphire blue eyes over his half moon spectacles.

"Professor! Erm… Aren't you cold?" Harry asked arching a brow, noticing he was only dawned in his periwinkle blue robes.

"Not at all my dear boy." Dumbledore conjured up a red stuffed chair, sat down beside Harry, and waved his wand in the air around them, Harry instantly became warm and toasty, and he even had to shed his third and heaviest coat.

"Harry, you have a good heart and I still cannot begin to fathom how out of place you must feel in Slytherin, but I feel you were placed there for a very special reason. The Sorting Hat always has a plan." Dumbledore stared off into the sky as he spoke softly

"Professor, trust me, I'm getting along fine with Slytherin…" Harry began

"Yes I know. Quite an amusing prank you ten have played on Miss Granger." He replied with a smile

"I did no-"

Dumbledore cut him off

"Harry I didn't say you were in any kind of trouble. In fact, I am quite amused as to find out how this will end. Mr. Weasley's twin brothers have been pranking Hogwarts since their first year; I would watch them closely if I were you."

Without another word, Dumbledore rose from his chair, waved his wand at the chair making it disappear, and left Harry sitting dumbstruck. Harry came back to the present when a fierce gust of winter wind hit his face and Harry realized Dumbledore had left. He was now shivering violently from the cold; quickly he pulled his heaviest jacket back on and trudged back around the Black Lake and into the warmth of the castle.

Everything seemed quiet when he entered the castle, 'maybe a little too quiet' Harry thought to himself as he slowly walked across the entrance hall to the double oak doors of the Great Hall. He pushed them open cautiously and entered the Great Hall

BAM

Harry was knocked back out into the Great Hall. He could hear shouts and laughter clearly now. He tried to stand, only to realize his legs were bounded by chains and he could not release by hand. George Weasley scrambled out and bent down with his wand raised at Harry. Harry's eyes widened in fear and tried to back away on his hands. George gave him a mischievous grin and flicked his wand at Harry and everything began to spin.

"Got another Slytherin George?" Harry heard

"Right-o Fred"

"Ah the famous Harry Potter! Ron look we got Harry Potter" George called

Harry heard some scuffling then another spinning face popped into Harry's view

"Guys, let him go"

Unbelievable. The Weasley was coming to his rescue. Harry opened his mouth to tell him off when suddenly he realized a great bit of bile had worked itself up and was now releasing itself onto the stone floor of the entrance hall.

"George" Ron shrieked, "Let the kid go!"

"Fine"

A smack in the head with something hard had Harry's vision back in order. As soon as he could, he stood up and rounded on the red head first year

"I didn't need your help Weasley!" he spat, his temper quickly rising

"Oh really, If I hadn't stopped them, you would be sitting here until dinner up chucking nothing!"

Harry noticed Ron's face was red from anger. He smirked

"What makes you think I need help from a blood traitor?" Harry questioned

Ron's mouth twitched like something had snapped in him and before Harry realized what was happening, he was slammed into the wall and was being held there by Ron's hand holding onto his shirt and his arm across his chest and his free hand bawled into a fist ready to strike.

"I thought you were different than them Harry. I really did. You have proven that you are no different than the purebloods that live in that prejudice house of yours. Your parents would be ashamed to see you. Your mother would cry."

That was the last straw. Harry took both his hands and shoved Ron hard in the chest and pulled out his wand and raised it at him

"Don't you ever speak about my mother Weasel" He screamed, fury driven emotions fueling him to step ever closer to Ron as he stepped back away from Harry.

"Do not presume to know my parents. You don't know them." Harry's eyes grew dark as he took another step

"Harry-"

"SHUT UP" Harry screeched

"YOUR MUM WAS A MUGGLE-BORN!" Ron bellowed

Harry faltered as if someone had kicked him in his stomach at these words

"How do you-"

"Because Harry, my mum, the Prewitts were good friends with the Potters. Your dad, the Potters were purebloods, your mum was a muggleborn" Ron finished in a whisper

Harry did not know what to say to this, he was dumbfounded and lost. He quickly pocketed his wand and tore off to the dungeons as soon as he could move again. Rather than return to the dungeons, he ran out into the grounds and halfway across the bridge before he realized he had bumped into something hard and had fallen onto the ground. He stood and realized that he had bumped into Daphne who had been on her way back up to the castle.

"I'm sorry Daph, I should have been watching where I was going." He held out his hand to her and when she obliged, he lifted her up onto her feet.

"Is everything okay Harry?" she asked, concern etched into her face

"I was just- Weasley-"

"Let's go in and talk about it okay? I'm freezing."

They turned and walked back up the grounds, Harry eyeing her out of the corner of his eye. She was certainly a beautiful girl. Her soft blue eyes, her long blonde hair, the way her lips give a tiny twitch right before she smiles...

Harry shook his head to rid the thought.

"What are you doing here? I thought the break wasn't over for another week"

I just got back, my mum, dad, and stori are going to France and I didn't want to go so they side-along apperated me just outside the barriers" she answered as they climbed the stone steps to the castle. Harry opened the great oak door for her and she slipped in with a thank you and I smile on her lips before Harry slipped in himself and shut out the cold.

They sat on his bed with the curtains drawn completely around in the boy's dormitory while the other two boys were out in the common room.

"My mum showed me this spell, works wonders when you want privacy." She waved her wand around his bed and whispered "Silencio"

"What does it do?" Harry asked

"Well no one outside this bed can hear what we're saying." she answered

She uncurled herself from her sitting position and laid down across the bed "Now, tell me what's bothering you."

Harry took a deep breath and started from the beginning. He told her about the conversation with Dumbledore out at the Black Lake and how the Weasley Twins had caught him off guard the trick they had pulled. Daphne listened intently and scoffed when he explained that Weasley tiny tried to stand up for him and how he was told that his mother was a muggle-born. Daphne didn't entirely look surprised at this.

"Harry, I can't imagine how you must feel, I suppose being put in Slytherin you must have assumed that your a pureblood, but not all of us are. Of course they don't tell anyone in fear that they will be shunned and disliked by their house. You have to understand that the pureblood families are in some way, shape, or form related some how whether it be marriage or adoption, or even removals. You should be proud to be half-blood, your mother was a very crafty witch from what I've read in the books about her. You have that very same power. Don't be ashamed of it, wield it. Make it your greatest purpose in life, to carry on the magic that has been given to you by your mother and father."

Harry stared at her with great appreciation, she was after all right of course. He never thought of it that way and certainly didn't realize there were more like him in this very house. With a heavy sigh he pulled her into a hug and let the tears fall silently.

She comforted him in silence for a while until he could not shed another tear. It was half past midnight when she dispelled the charm around the bed, bade him a goodnight and crept out of the room to her own.

Harry stayed up a while after Daphne had retired to her own room. The dorm was silent except for the occasional shuffling of a bed when it's tenant would toss and turn or a snore here and there. He mulled over what Ron had said to him, how Daphne had been able to comfort him and give him the reassurance he had needed. He had generally derived the conclusion, his aunt Petunia was a full muggle. In his mind he must not have put two and two together until he had heard a verbal confirmation. Petunia his mum's sister… He envied his aunt now, she has been able to be with his mum, and he did not. Was that selfish? He wondered

He blew out a breath, quietly got out of bed and rummaged his trunk for his invisibility cloak and exited the commons quickly through the portrait hole. He pulled his cloak around him and over his head and walked. He walked up and down corridors and up stairs and sown them. He came to a halt turning a corner in the fourth floor corridor, Snape had Quirrell in the same position Ron had had Harry earlier against the wall

"We'll have another little chat once you know where your loyalties lie." Snape released him and both walked away

Harry sighed in relief then entered a door to an unused classroom to wait for the coast to clear. He pulled the cloak off and looked around the room; there in the corner of the room he saw a majestic looking mirror, as tall as the room with a beautifully crafted gold crested frame with two clawed feet. He walked over to it to examine it. He saw at the top of the mirror in ornate lettering

_Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi_

Harry stepped in front of the mirror and covered a gasp with his hands. His reflection stood there watching him, not only himself but also two others stood behind him. Harry glanced over his shoulder quickly, but nothing was there, nobody but himself was in the room. He turned back and looked at the two that was standing behind his reflection, a raven haired man stood to Harry's immediate mirrored right which was his left. He noticed this man wore glasses, same as Harry, his face, nose, chin all matched himself.

"Dad?" he asked meekly

The raven haired man smiled at him and placed his hand upon Harry's mirrored self's shoulder. Harry's eyes widened as he now looked over to his mirrored left and saw a fiery red headed woman with emerald green eyes piercing his own. She smiled lovingly at him and placed her hand upon his other mirrored self's shoulder

"Mum…"

Harry broke down then, he wept until the early hours had dawned

"Harry?" Came the soothing voice from the corner of the room. Harry whirled around to see Dumbledore standing in front of the door he had entered earlier. Harry wiped his tears with the back of his sleeve and stood up.

"Professor.-"

"You like hundreds before you, have discovered the delights of the Mirror of Erised"

"I didn't- What exactly does it do Professor?" Harry asked as Dumbledore sat on the floor beside him

"Let me explain it in a way you can understand it. The happiest man on earth would be able to use the Mirror of Erised like a normal mirror, that is to say he would see himself exactly as he is. Does that help?"

Harry nearly nodded

"It shows us what we want, whatever we want?"

"Not exactly" Dumbledore sighed

"It shows us our deepest darkest, most desperate desire of our hearts. You have never known your family Harry, seeing them standing around you is what you desire the most. Many men have wasted away in front of it, entranced by what they have seen, or been driven mad because they cannot have what they are being shown. Harry, the mirror is being moved to a new home tomorrow and I ask that you do not go looking for it again."

Dumbledore stood and crossed the room to the door

"It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live, remember that Harry." He added, opening the door

"Sir- Professor may I ask you a question?" Harry crossed the room as well, clutching his cloak

Dumbledore smiled in amusement "Obviously you had just done so. But you may ask one more thing however."

"What do you see when you look in the mirror?"

"I?" Dumbledore's eyes shot over to the mirror, Harry noticed there was no twinkle in them this time

"I see myself holding a pair of thick woolen socks"

Harry stared at his headmaster in disbelief

"Oh, one can never have too many socks Harry. Another Christmas has come and gone without a single pair. People will insist on giving me books."

'I doubt there was any truth to that. But then it was sort of a personal question…' Harry thought as he climbed back into bed, took off his glasses, set them on the nightstand, and fell asleep.

~ ~ oo ~ ~

The week following the return of classes, he had been quietly reading a book on a bench near the Great Hall when the last person he ever wanted to see came up to him

"I don't know what your playing at Potter but you Slytherins stop playing tricks on Hermione." Ron Weasley stood before him, red faced and angry.

Since the end of break, Granger has gotten her hair turned silver and green, had her two front teeth grown out to enormous proportions, her hair turned into a nest infested with rats, and of course her knickers flying around the entire school. Today it was her books charmed to fly behind her and smack her in the head repeatedly. Harry had certainly been enjoying the many pranks and smiled inwardly thinking about them.

"What do you think you are going to do about it Weasley?" He snapped

Ron turned even redder and growled "Game on Slytherin" He then turned and stormed off into the Great Hall.

Harry burst into laughter and the nine Slytherins came from behind their hiding spots and followed Harry into the Great Hall for breakfast.

"Well if they want a war, then we will give them a war Slytherin style." Draco drawled, coming to sit beside Harry on the bench.

"Is everything in place?" Harry asked

"Certainly." he replied

A very loud, drawn out scream sounded from behind the large oak doors of the Great Hall. Harry opened the door and ducked as a rather large overgrown piece if toast flew over him. He was quite amused to see their plan in action as he settled beside Draco and Blaise. Every Gryffindor was now being attacked by very large over grown food. Scrambled eggs now the size of cars were flying in groups attacking the students as they fled the table. human-sized bacon battered them in their heads and large biscuits fell from the sky. The other three houses stared in shock. Some of the fleeing Gryffindors went into hiding underneath the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables, others attempting to hide under their own house table with not much luck as the eggs were still flinging balls of itself at the students.

A loud bang rang through the hall and all the animate foods shrunk back to it's normal size and laid still upon the table and floor. Dumbledore stood and addressed the hall

"Everyone return to your commons. I am afraid that this prank has gone out of hand. If I see another student attempting to prank, or I hear of another student being hospitalized for non class-related incidents the students responsible will be in danger of expulsion. Do I make myself clear?"

Every head nodded and once dismissed, they left the hall with great haste.

"Did you see that!"

"I can't believe they actually fell for it"

"Did you see their faces!"

The Slytherins talked about the prank for weeks. They knew Gryffindor could no longer retaliate without the high risk of expulsion. The Slytherins were safe.


	3. Recruitment

**A/N I do not own Harry Potter.**

**So this will somewhat be a short chapter for now. I might come back and reconstruct it like I did chapter 2, but for now let's call this a "filler" So now I can start working on chapter four which will be a full chapter on the summer fun at Malfoy Manor**

**Enjoy!**

Chapter 3

Recruitment

Harry was too glad all the Holidays were over. He never wants to spend another moment alone in the castle. He was happy when the rest of Slytherin came back from their break and everyone had started classes again. Harry sat in the back in Transfiguration in the two weeks preceding the summer break, getting ready to take the end-of-year exams.

He had his elbow rested on the desk and his chin rested in the palm of his hand. Already finished with his exam, he pulled his blank parchment closer and pulled his quill out of the ink bottle and wrote a short note, then crumbled it up into a ball and tossed it down, effectively hitting the cinnamon haired girl in the back of the head.

She turned and arched a brow when Harry motioned for her to look down. She averted her eyes to the ground and saw what hit her, picking it up gingerly she turned back around to the front and opened it:

_Granger,_

_I need to speak to you in regards to 'fluffy' meet me outside on the bridge after class. I have new information._

_Harry_

After class was over, the two did indeed meet up on the grounds

"What is this all about Potter?" she asked indignantly

Harry walked with her silently for a while, only after he knew they were clearly out of earshot from anyone, he told her everything Theo told him about Nicholas Flamel

"So…so maybe that's what Fluffy is guarding up on the third floor!"

"I came to the same conclusion. I can see why anyone would want it. Professor Snape was wounded that day, with the troll…"

"Snape? Hmm… Maybe he tried to get past Fluffy!" Hermione concluded as they both turned to head back up to the castle

"I was thinking the same. I know he is my head of house but… something is a bit off with him. I think we ought to go-"

"What! Us! No, no. It's against the rules!" Hermione said, terrified of the thought

"Well I don't see how anyone else-"

"No!"

"Fine, we'll do it your way. We will tell Dumbledore. Come on."

Harry grasped Hermione's arm, drug her through the grounds, and up into the castle, all the way up to Dumbledore's office before Hermione could smack his hand away.

"Potter, Granger, what are you two doing up here?" Professor McGonagall halted as she had been coming down the stairs to the Headmaster's office

"Professor, we need to speak to Professor Dumbledore quickly!" Harry said breathlessly.

McGonagall arched a brow "I'm sorry Potter. Dumbledore has just left on ministry business. He will not be returning to the castle for a while." She eyed them both, wondering what a Gryffindor and a Slytherin are doing together

"He's gone?" Harry sighed heavily

"What in the world would be more important to Dumbledore than the business he has with the ministry Potter?" McGonagall said annoyance in her voice

"Look Professor-." Hermione began "It's about the Sorcerer's Stone-"

The papers and books the Professor was holding slipped out of her hands, as she had not attempted to pick them up, her eyes widened

"H-how d-do you know about that?" She spluttered

"I- know someone is going to try and steal it Professor, we need to talk to Dumbledore! "

"Potter, Granger, listen to me well. No one can steal it, it is safe underneath this school, and the teachers and I are protecting it. Now unless one of us goes down there, it cannot be stolen. Now out."

Hermione and Harry couldn't argue with a teacher so defeated as they were, they made for the entrance hall

"Oi what are you doing with him Mione?" Ron walked up to them, glaring at Harry

"I can see whom I like Ronald." She replied dismally

"But-"

"Granger, let's go visit Hagrid" Harry interjected

To Harry's dismay, Ron followed them down to the hut bordering the Forbidden Forest.

"Hagrid!"

"Oi Harry! How 're yeh?"

"Hagrid, I wondered… You have a good relationship with creatures?"

"O' Course Harry. Just a while back, I won me a dragon's egg! From a sorta shadowy man. O' Norbert" Hagrid sniffed

"Well what was said?" Harry asked impatiently

"He asked a bit about the sorta creatures I looked after… So I told him…. An' I said After Fluffy; a Dragon would be easy…"

"And did he seem interested in Fluffy?" Harry asked, trying to keep his voice calm and devoid of emotions, as per Slytherin standards

""Well- yeah- how many three headed dog d'yeh meet? So I told 'em, Fluffy's a piece of cake, if yeh know how to calm him. Jus play em a bit o' music an' he'll go straight off ter sleep-"

Hagrid's eyes widened and glazed over

"I shouldn'ta told yeh that" He blurted "Forget I said it- Oi where're yeh goin'?"

Harry and Hermione ran, followed closely by a very lost Ronald.

"He knows how to get in. I have to go tonight."

"Alright Harry, Alright! However, I am going too. I'll meet you in the third floor girl's lavatory at ten past nine." Hermione agreed, now completely out of breath and leaning her hands on her knees breathing heavily.

"What are you two on about?" Came Ron's breathless inquiry

Hermione spun around, forgetting he was with them for a moment

"We're going back to Fluffy." She replied "Tonight."

"You two are mental!" was his answer

"I know Ronald but the stone must not be stolen!" Hermione gasped

"Stone?" Ron shook his head

"Oh come on, I'll tell you in the commons. Harry, remember third floor, ten past nine."

Then she and the red head disappeared over the hill, leaving Harry alone with his thoughts.

~ ~ oo ~ ~

At eight fifty-eight, Harry dawned his cloak and crept put of the dorms and out into the corridor beyond the snake and sword portrait hiding the Slytherin house. A creak came from behind him, he turned quickly to see Daphne Greengrass standing behind him

"Daphne what are you doing out of bed?" Harry whispered urgently

"I want to go with you. Please" she begged

"Fine here under the cloak"

She slipped under his cloak and together the two of them walked up to the third floor. Harry had filled her in on what he was doing and whom he was going to be meeting when they get to where they are going. She nodded in response

"Then you're going to need me. If the teachers are the ones guarding it, then they will have plenty of spells protecting it."

They took the swinging stairs up to the third floor and halted immediately. A dull light shined on the wall near them, Harry shoved Daphne against the wall then flattened himself beside her.

"Who's there?" Came a voice

"Hello? Is anyone there?"

Harry rolled his eyes, as if he was actually going to say 'Hey we're right here, put us in detention', Harry covered his mouth to hide his deep breaths when the person that the detached voice owned came into sight and was inching forward towards Harry.

As the prefect came closer, Daphne followed Harry as he sidestepped, pressed hard against the wall, and crept ever so slowly away from the person and the light. Harry and Daphne tore down the corridor as soon as he was far enough away and smacked into something hard

"Oi"

"Weasley?" Harry whispered, "What in the world are you doing here?" He demanded

Ron looked surprised, looking around the corridor for the detached voice. Harry snorted then removed the hood of his invisibility cloak.

"What!" he half whispered half yelled, that's an invisibility cloak," he said excitedly, forgetting for a moment that he and Harry were not friends

"Where did you-"

"My father…" Harry said softly

As if Ron just realized whom he was talking to, He immediately stiffed his shoulders and contorted his face with disgust. "I'm going down there with you. I'm not leaving Hermione's life in the hands of two bloody Slytherin," Ron snapped angrily, noticing the blonde standing beside Harry.

"Fine, get in." Harry shoved Ron into the girl's lavatory and walked in himself. A sense of relief washed over him as he came around the corner and the cinnamon bushy haired girl turned and smiled, though it was instantly removed from her face when she saw who else was there

"Ronald, you're not supposed to be here," she said indignantly

"I'm not leaving you alone with a Slytherin," Ron snapped, looking away in anger

"Shh there is a Prefect on this floor." Harry shushed

"Right, who are you?" She pointed at the blonde-haired girl

"Oh, this is Daphne Greengrass. She's coming with us." Harry explained

"Okay… Well what's the plan?" Hermione questioned

"Right, so we are all clear, this-" Harry held out the silvery material "-Is an invisibility cloak. We're all going to get under it and walk up to the fifth floor." He explained

Ron rolled his eyes, Hermione, just recovering from being told about the cloak nodded, and Daphne smiled. Harry threw the cloak on the four of them and looked down to make sure their feet were hidden.

"Right let's go."

They walked together up the corridor and over to the door hiding Fluffy. Hermione raised her wand and whispered "Alohomora"

The lock clicked and they opened the door quietly and stepped in. Harry removed the cloak and stuffed it in the inside pocket of his robes and turned to face the three headed dog. Daphne parted her lips to scream when Harry swiftly covered her mouth with his hand

"Shhh" he whispered

"It- It's asleep." Hermione replied

Harry looked over, a white harp sat in the far corner and playing a soothing melody on its own.

"Someone has already been down here." Harry observed, looking around the room.

"I agree, come on before the thing wakes up." Hermione whispered, opening the trap door as quietly as she could.

Harry jumped down first, Daphne second, Hermione third, and reluctantly, Ron came last. The four of them landed with a soft FLUMP. Harry's eyes were not accustomed to the dark yet, he felt around and thought as though they may have landed on some sort of plant.

"Luckily this plant thing was here to soften the fall really." Ron said with a chuckle

"Lucky?" Hermione shrieked, "Look!"

Harry and Ron both looked down to see that their entire legs were bound by green tendrils from the plant. Both began to squirm and fidget at the same time.

"Don't move! This is Devil's snare! If you move, it'll only kill you faster!" Daphne cried

"Kill us faster! Oh ruddy great! Get us out of here!" Ron bellowed

"I'm trying!" Hermione cried, looking to Daphne for help

"Devil's snare, Devil's snare- Oh what did Sprout say… Ah! Devil's Snare, Devil's snare it's deadly fun, but will sulk in the sun, that's it!" She pointed her wand best she could at the plant and cried "Lumos Solem"

The plant recoiled with a tremendous cry and the four fell into the basement below

"Are you alright?" Daphne asked Harry as Hermione asked Ron

Both boys nodded, and stood up, dusting themselves off.

"This way"

They walked down a dark corridor, sloping down ever so often

"Do you hear something?" Ron whispered

Harry strained his ear forward listening. A soft rustling and clinking could be heard ahead of them.

"Do you think it's a ghost?" Daphne asked meekly

"I dunno- sounds like wings to me"

They reached the end of the passage and saw a light filtering in through a cracked open ancient wooden door. Harry opened it and gasped as they stepped into a brilliantly lit up cavern like chamber, its ceilings arching many ways above them. It was filled with tiny-jeweled winged birds fluttering around feebly.

Across the room was another large ancient wooden door, Harry crossed over and pulled the ring handle, but it would not budge. He raised his wand and pointed it at the door and said "Alohomora" then yanked again but to no avail.

The others followed and tried with no luck.

"Those aren't birds, they're keys!" Harry exclaimed, "We're looking for an ancient key, probably the same as the door lock."

"There!" Hermione cried pointing up at the ceiling arch farthest from them

"But how-" Harry noticed the brooms neatly tucked in the corner of the room

"Of course!" Harry raced over to the brooms and mounted one. He kicked off hard from the ground and soared into the air, rounding the chamber and climbing higher. Suddenly, every key in the room swooped down as one towards Harry

"HARRY LOOK OUT!" Hermione screamed

Harry glanced over his shoulder and sped up, climbing ever higher. He reached out for the large, ancient feebly winged key and grasped it tightly in his hands. The keys sliced here and there as they swooped by Harry but he knew if he stopped now they would injure him. Harry tossed the key down at Hermione and she quickly unlocked the door

"Harry, Hurry!" Daphne cried

Harry swooped around the room speedily and flew straight through the door as Hermione was closing it. Ron, Daphne and Hermione followed him through the next passage way and into a large seemingly bright room. Ron gasped this time.

"It's a chess board!" He exclaimed

The two other looked at each other and stepped out onto the board. They were behind the black chessmen. Facing them were the opponent, white chessmen and behind them, the next door that will take them forward

"Don't you see? We have to play our way out." Ron explained as he climbed on top of the black Knight, who instantly sprang to life.

"It was never meant for four…" Hermione whispered

Harry nodded

"Harry go take up Castle, You, Slytherin girl Bishop, over there" Ron pointed out the places

"Daphne" she snapped

"Right Daphne over there" He pointed again and the two obliged, stepping onto their assigned space. Hermione backed away back into the corridor to watch from a safe distance. Ron turned to face the white opponents with a determined look on his face.

"White always goes first"

The white pawn moved two spaces forward and Ron began his turn. The black chessmen followed Ron's orders and placed themselves where he told them to go.

"Harry- move three spaces diagonally to the right." He ordered. Hermione and Daphne shrieked when their other Knight was smashed by the White Queen and dragged off the board.

"Sorry, had to do it so you could take their Bishop. Go on Daphne, take it!"

The game went on and on, Black chessmen littered the back wall more so than the white side. Ron realized then that the other two were in danger and decided to be taken. The Knight moved in front of the merciless White Queen, slowly.

"No Ron!" Hermione cried just as the White Queen lifted its sword and swiped the knight across its middle.

"Leave me, Go!" Ron bellowed as he was thrown back off the Knight, landing in a heap on the ground.

Harry stepped forward and checkmated the White King, the sword it's its hands fell before Harry. Hermione screamed and ran towards Harry

"Hermione, take one of the brooms in the flying key room and get Ron help, He needs it"

Hermione glared at the young Slytherin girl and nodded to Harry before returning to attempt to wake Ron

"Harry"

Harry stopped

"Be safe"

Harry nodded and grabbed Daphne's hand as they both ran down the next passage into a smaller room lit by small candles with a single table sitting in the middle of the room with seven different shaped vials with seven different colors of potions in them. Daphne walked up to the table and picked up a roll of parchment and unrolled it

_Danger lies before you, while safety lies behind,_

_Two of us will help you, whichever you would find,_

_One among us seven will let you move ahead,_

_Another will transport the drinker back instead,_

_Two among our number hold only nettle wine,_

_Three of us are killers, waiting hidden in line._

_Choose unless you wish to stay here forevermore,_

_To help you in your choice we give you these clues four:_

_First, however slyly the poison tries to hide_

_You will always find some on nettle wine's left side;_

_Second, different are those who stand at either end,_

_But if you would move onward, neither is your friend;_

_Third, as you see clearly, all are different size,_

_Neither dwarf nor giant hold death in their insides;_

_Fourth, the second left, and the second on the right_

_Are twins once you taste them, though different at first sight._

Daphne rolled up the parchment and blew out a breath

"Brilliant, it's a logical puzzle!" she said with a smile

"So what do we do?" Harry asked

"Give me a minute she replied, sitting on the floor and rereading the note several times muttering to herself

"Got it! The smallest bottle will take you forward the one at the end on the right side will take us back through the other way."

"There is hardly enough for two of us. You go back, take one of those brooms also, You know from the flying key chamber, and get out. Hurry"

Daphne nodded and obliged, gulping down her potion and walking back the way they came, through a shadowy purple flame. Harry drunk the other walked through the black veil covering the way forward. He took the flight of stairs down into an antechamber deep within Hogwarts, thinking he would find Snape there. Harry's heart flipped as he descended the last step into the chamber, he saw a man standing in front of the Mirror of Erised, and as Harry walked forward, he noticed the purple turban of Professor Quirrell.

"You"

Quirrell turned and smiled

"Me" he said calmly

"But I thought- Snape…"

"Severus?" Quirrell laughed, it was not his usual quivering but cold, and sharp. "Yes Severus does seem the type doesn't he? So useful to have him swooping around like an overgrown bat. Next to him who would have suspected p-p-poor, s-s-stuttering P-Professor Quirrell? He said snidely

Harry stared in disbelief, he could not understand.

"But Snape tried to kill me, at Quidditch!"

"No dear boy. It was _I_ who tried to kill you. Your friend Miss Granger accidently knocked me over as she rushed to set fire to Snape. She broke my eye contact with you. Another few minutes and you would have been falling to your death! I would have managed it earlier if Snape hadn't been muttering those countercurses, trying to save you." Looking as though disgusted with Harry, He turned back to the mirror.

"This mirror is the key to finding the stone, but how do I get to it!" he muttered "I see myself presenting the stone to my master…"

Harry inched forward

"Use the boy!" Said a whispering cold voice, close to Harry

"Boy! Yes Potter come here!"

Harry gulped and came to him reluctantly and peered into the mirror. He saw himself holding the stone and placing it into his trouser pocket. Harry looked down at his own self and noticed his pocket now bulged out.

"What do you see!" Quirrell screeched

"I- I see myself shaking hands with Dumbledore. I-I've won the house cup.

"He lies" came the whispering cold voice again

"Potter!"

Harry jumped and looked up at Quirrell

"Let me speak with the boy."

"Mater you are-"

"Now Quirrell"

"Yes master."

Quirrell turned his back toward Harry and unwrap his turban. When it fell away, Harry was stunned, jaw dropped. A face stood out on the back of Quirrell's head and began to speak.

_Voldemort_

"Harry I have known you would suffice in Slytherin. My boy, come to me," said the cold high pitched voice

Harry shook but moved closer to Voldemort

"Harry I see what it is you want. I can make it happen; I can bring your parents back if you would just give me the stone!"

"No" Harry's answer was barely above a whisper

"No? Harry, just imagine if you joined our ranks! The power you would have, the things you could do! No one would question you!"

"I-" Harry faltered, He knew better than to give him the stone, but to be in such power, power he was supposedly already supposed to have…

"I- I will not give you the stone. But- but maybe…" Harry shook his head

"You would join our ranks Harry?" Voldemort's cold laugh rang through the chamber.

"I-"

Quirrell lunged forward on his own accord and wrung his hands around Harry's neck then instantly pulled them away as if they were on fire.

"Arrrgh"

He lunged again and Harry grabbed onto his arm and held fast. Sizzling could be heard from were Harry was touching Quirrell's skin

"No!" Voldemort screamed as Quirrell's body turned to ash in front of Harry.

~ ~ oo ~ ~

Harry awoke with a start in a bed with a white curtain drawled. He sat up and noticed Dumbledore sitting at the end of the bed

"Professor I-

"Harry I must ask you not to ask the question that has befallen your lips. It has been dealt with." Dumbledore popped a miniaturized lemon into his mouth

"Professor is being in Slytherin really where I was meant to be in?" Harry asked, he knew he had many questions but they could wait.

"I do believe, like I have said before, The Sorting Hat has placed you there for reasons that are unknown to me. So suffice to say, yes I do."

"May I ask one more question Professor?"

"Certainly Harry." Dumbledore replied, smiling

"Why did Quirrell burn when I touched him?"

"Ah. Your mother was killed trying to save your life. It has come to my attention; there is an ancient spell that is far more powerful than anything I have ever seen. This spell is bounded by love. Your mother giving her life to save yours has added a barrier between you and Voldemort. That is why you must stay with your aunt and uncle."

Harry moved to speak but closed his mouth almost as soon a she opened it

"Your mother's blood, your blood flows through your Aunt Petunia. As long as you still call her family, you are protected from Voldemort."

Dumbledore rose from the bed and walked solemnly out of the infirmary.

Harry was visited by Daphne after Dumbledore left. She had told him that when she got back into the chess room, Hermione hadn't been able to successfully wake the Weasley so they spent a good hour trying to get him awake and another hour trying to get him up on her broom because Granger is afraid of flying, it would have been worse with someone else with her.

Harry thanked Daphne for her help and asked her to promise not to tell anyone about what had happened down there.

She promised and skipped out of the infirmary.

A day gone by, Harry and Ron both were finally released just in time for the end-of-term feast. He entered the Great Hall and settled himself at the Slytherin table while Ron settled himself at Gryffindor.

"It has been a very interesting year here at Hogwarts. In light of the recent events, the end of term exams will be canceled."

The crowd roared in cheers until Dumbledore raised his hand for silence

"As it is, Gryffindor is in fourth place with three hundred and ninety-seven points. Ravenclaw in close third with four hundred and ten points. Hufflepuff is in second with Four hundred seventy-six points. In addition, First place goes to Slytherin with Five hundred and eighty-seven points! Well done, Slytherin!"

Dumbledore waved his hand and the banners around the hall turned green with the Slytherin house crest upon them. The food appeared on the table after Dumbledore sat down and everyone dove in hungrily.

The train ride home was much more joyous than the ride to Hogwarts for Harry. He now sat in the final compartment of the train with the rest of the Slytherins next to Daphne whom had attached herself to him as soon as the train started rolling out of the station.

"So Potter, my father, and I will meet you outside your home three weeks before start of term. Be ready I'll send an owl ahead of time." Draco was saying but Harry had barely heard him. He was still stunned to get an offer to stay at the Malfoy Manor before term begins each year. He was thrilled.

Harry turned as soon as he was off the train and hugged Daphne, whom had followed him off the train. She hugged him back and kissed his cheek

"You'll write won't you?" she asked taking his hand in hers

"Of course, every day if I can." Harry replied with a smile

"I'll be visiting Malfoy Manor soon with Astoria. Maybe you'll be there!" she said hopefull

y "I'll be there for my birthday, I'll invite you, your family seems chummy with the Malfoys?"

She nodded then squeezed his hand before kissing he cheek once more before skipping away to find her sister and parents.

"Potter" Draco called

Harry walked over to him and there did he finally, officially meet Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy. He had told them that he very much appreciated the offer to stay at their home half way through the summer, he told them it had to be better than living in a cabinet under the stairs at his aunt and uncles being starved every day, he was joking but Narcissa did not like the things he was saying. She scowled and glared over at the couple Harry had pointed out as his Uncle and Aunt. She shuffled over to them huffing and crossed her arms sternly while talking to his aunt and uncle.

"Your mum is a bit scary," Harry whispered to Draco

"Yes." He breathed

After Narcissa had a nice little chat, Harry said his goodbyes to the Malfoy family and left with his aunt and uncle.


	4. Away From Privet Drive

**A/N - Hello! I am so very sorry it has taken so long to update (and for the shortness. Not really much to do in the two months yes? Don't worry though I will never abandon any of my stories. I have been very busy with my RL with my daughter's birthday coming up soon and some other things. Please R&R because I have certainly lost a lot of my motivation and inspiration to write so please, I need to hear your opinions and ideas! **

**Anyways, I'm babbling so here is the next chapter (first summer vacation)**

* * *

Chapter 4

Away from Privet Drive

Harry often wondered just what Mrs. Malfoy had said to the Dursleys. After they returned to Privet Drive, they immediately went about to empty Dudley's game-play room and moved Harry's bed in it and told him that this would be his room from now on. Of course, it took a few days for Dudley to finish empting the room of all his person items and even then, he fussed.

Harry kept his word to Daphne and owled her often after he settled in nicely into his room. He sat on his bed and reread the latest note from her,

_Harry,_

_My birthday just passed, _

_Thank you so much for your well wishes and the beautiful flower you sent. How has your summer gone_

_So far? Mine has been the most boring summer of the century! The heat has caused me to have to_

_Sit in the house all day long with stori, she's so boring! _

_My mum told me yesterday that she has indeed heard about you being placed in Slytherin, and wishes _

_You well, in hopes that you will be coming to Malfoy Manor soon so she can meet you._

_I will see you soon,_

_With Love, _

_Daphne_

He smiled at the last three words. Since the beginning of summer, nearly two weeks ago, they have written back and forth and Harry has grown to look forward to the next, it was in fact, his only attachment to the Wizarding World, his world. He sat down at his desk and immediately began writing his response

_Daphne,_

_You are truly welcome. Please let your mum know that I appreciate her blessings._

_Today is another one of those days, my aunt and uncle are (if you can believe it) _

_worse than they usually are! I haven't had a proper meal since I got here._

_I think they fear me, as they should. You know how terribly horrid they_

_have been well, imagine you double it! My cousin is a fat lazy good-for-nothing_

_that gets his way every time. The day he turned 11, he yelled at my aunt _

_Petunia, his mother for not getting him as many presents as he had gotten the year before, _

_Let's just say we went to the zoo and had to stop at the store to get him more_

_Presents, how ridicules. Other than that, I would have to say my summer has been_

_Mostly ok. I look forward to seeing you and meeting your mum, see you soon Daph_

_Harry_

Harry put down his quill and folded the parchment up and was about to tie it to Hedwig's leg when she hooted loudly at him for mostly being stuck in her cage for the last two weeks

"Boy!"

Harry was used to this, his uncle and aunt never called him by his name it has always been Boy or You. He shook his head and sighed heavily, placing Daphne's letter under his pillow and exiting his room to find out what his uncle wanted now.

"Boy we are having very important guests tonight for dinner. I want you to stay up in that room of yours and keep quiet. No sounds from you tonight boy," Vernon turned to walk away then stopped and turned back around to face Harry "-And keep that ruddy bird quiet." He added before tottering out of the foyer.

Harry ran a hand through his hair and sighed as he turned and ran back up the stairs two at a time. In his room, he opened Hedwig's cage and opened the window for her.

"I wouldn't come back for a good few hours Hedwig. Why don't you go hunt, then go to Daphne's house for a bit?" He tied Daphne's letter to his owl's leg and sat back down at his desk.

The snowy owl hooted softly and nipped his finger lovingly before spreading her wings and taking off out the window. Harry sat on his bed and did a once over around his room then he laid down across his bed with his arms tucked behind his head. Tomorrow he would be leaving this place for the rest of the summer to stay at the magnificent Malfoy Manor. He had decided when he had came back to this place that he would not unpack a single thing from his trunk, he was, thankfully all set to go tomorrow. After some time, Harry drifted off to sleep.

_Harry stood in front of a white bricked two-story house with a small wrought iron fence. Before he knew it, he was at the door and casting a silent unlocking charm at the little white door. However, this was not his wand; he would know his trusty companion anywhere. But whose does this wand belong to? He stepped inside into a rather small foyer like his uncle's and aunt's and turned to see a man with short messy raven hair come out of a door on the left of him. He raised his wand _

"_Take Harry and hide!" The raven-haired man shouted at the young red head woman coming down the stairs. He watched her turn quickly on her heels and bolt back up the stairs. Harry watched as the man came towards him with his wand raised. Harry let out a cold, high pitched laugh and shouted _

"_Avada Kedavra" _

_A blinding flash of green light lit the room and the raven-haired man collapsed to the ground. He stepped over the still body and up the stairs…_

Harry bolted up in his bed in cold sweats. With a cry of pain, he put his head in his hand and rubbed his temples with the heels of his palms. His head was bursting with pain, felt as if it was on fire. Getting up out of his bed, he crossed his room, lurched his door open, then walked into the bathroom across from his room and turned the cold tap on in the sink and splashed his face with cold water. He knew his dream was the moment Voldemort came into his happy life and ruined it. How he despised Voldemort. Despised for taking his parents away from him, taking away his childhood, and casting fear into every witch and wizard alive. He returned to his room and plopped down on his bed, he knew he could not go back to sleep now, that dream was going to haunt him for the rest of his life. He waited. Waited for the sun to rise, waited for the first sounds of life in the early hours to begin and the tenants of this house to slowly rise and begin their day.

~ ~ oo ~ ~

At half past ten, He received and owl from Draco telling him to be ready at ten past eleven. Harry was tired, but the excitement of getting out his uncle and aunt's home fueled him. He rummaged in his trunk and pulled out the muggle clothes he had gotten during Christmas last year and put them on, throwing his old pair away in his dust bin. At eleven precisely, he had his trunk and owl cage down in the foyer and was reaching for the door handle when his uncle rushed in.

"What the ruddy hell are you doing boy?" He snapped angrily

"I'm leaving" Harry replied with an eerie calm to his tone

"Oh no, you ruddy aren't," he countered, pushing Harry aside and blocking the door with his arm.

Harry rolled his eyes, he knew this would happen; it was too probable that Harry only had to think for a moment on what to do before he dug in his back pocket for his wand, and raised it up threateningly at Vernon whose eyes widened and backed away from the door with his hands up in the air

"You are not allowed to do that outside of that ruddy freak school of yours" Vernon tried

"Watch me." Harry sneered before yanking the door open and stepping out onto the porch with his trunk and owl cage. Draco and his father were already standing just outside on the road when Harry walked out and slammed the door behind him.

"You're late." Draco smirked

"Mr. Potter" Lucius greeted

"Hello Mr. Malfoy" Harry replied

"We will not be heading straight to the manor. I have business in Diagon Alley, I hope you understand?" Lucius stepped into a dark alley half way down the road and the two boys followed.

"Dobby" He muttered

A faint pop announced a tiny creature with large bat-like ears and large round green eyes cowering beside Malfoy senior.

"How can Dobby serve Master?" it squeaked in a high-pitched voice

"Take Mr. Potter's belongings to the manor and get his chambers ready." He ordered

"Yes sir, Master. Dobby will do as master wishes"

The creature grabbed Harry's trunk and owl cage and with another faint pop, it was all gone before he could blink. He glanced over at Mr. Malfoy as he took a small white intricate ornate teapot out of his robe pocket. Harry looked at Draco with confusion and watched as Draco placed his hand on the teapot.

"This is a portkey Mr. Potter." He pointed at the teapot. "Put your hand on it and it will transport us to Diagon Alley."

Harry stared at the teapot in astonishment as it began to glow blue.

"Quickly Mr. Potter" Lucius said urgently

Harry had barely touched the teapot with his two forefingers before he felt a hook somewhere behind his navel and was suddenly spinning around in the air with Draco holding his eyes shut tight, and Lucius looking calmly at the teapot. The two boys landed with a thud on the cobblestones of Diagon Alley, both he and Draco were on the ground and Lucius was standing looking around.

"Up with you two now" he snapped pulling the collar of Draco's robes up and yanking him into a standing position. Harry followed suit and stood to dust trousers off.

"I have taken the liberty of bringing your school lists. While I am gone, go get your supplies." He roughly thrust the lists into Draco's hand, stalked off down the street, and turned a corner into a second alley.

Draco handed Harry his and both boys took off in the direction of Gringotts, however Draco turned yet again and walked into Slug and Jiggers Apothecary. Harry followed the crowd of witches and wizards all the way up to the stone steps of Gringotts and slipped inside. He walked over to the farthest counter and waited for the goblin to acknowledge him

"Can I help you?" he asked gruffly in a low baritone voice

"I need in my vault" Harry responded

"As you wish, do you have your key?

Harry rummaged in his pocket and pulled his key out and placed it in the rough skinned hands of the awaiting goblin. Just like the previous year, the goblin took him through a large set of doors and around to a large antechamber with a trolley cart sitting on its tracks awaiting them. He stepped onto the trolley cart behind the goblin and barely made it to his seat before it sprang to life and began rolling on its track gathering speed quickly. Faster and faster, it went over bridges, and around bends until they halted suddenly, nearly throwing Harry from the cart. The goblin was the first down, tottered over to his vault, shoved the key into the lock, and opened the door as Harry had just caught up with him. He dashed into his vault and refilled his pouch with quite a bit of galleons, a few sickles, and several Knuts before stuffing it back into his pocket and walking out to meet back up with the goblin.

Back in Diagon Alley, he decided that first off he would go to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions and get a completely new set of robes. He picked out several nice robe sets that would appease his hosts for the summer, paid and walked out. He went shop to shop fulfilling his required school items before taking a break He entered Flourish and Blotts and was utterly astonished at how tightly packed it was. He pushed his way through the crowd to the front and saw finally, what had the little bookstore in such an uproar.

An average looking blonde-haired, fair-skinned man stood at the front of the shop posing for pictures being taken from within the crowd. Harry looked around the room and noticed the pile of books on the desk beside this man written by one Gilderoy Lockhart and Harry realized then that this idiot standing in front of him was a celebrated author. Harry locked eyes with the man and was instantly drawn out of the crowd by a photographer who pushed him to the front and beside Gilderoy

"Is that- Yes- it is, the famous Harry Potter!" Lockhart shouted as he placed his hand tightly on Harry's shoulder.

"Nice big smile Harry, Together you and I are worth the front page"

Eight to nine flashes later Harry was finally able to successfully release the man's grip on his shoulder and headed for the crowd again when Lockhart pulled him back over and laden his arms with a stack of books.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, if I may, have your attention. Thank you. When young Harry here stepped into Flourish and Blotts today, I'm sure he was just about to buy my autobiography, but instead he will be presented with all of my works free of charge," Lockhart said aloud with a smile

Harry rolled his eyes and looked out upon the crowd and his eyes met grey eyes in the back of the crowd and their owner, laughing and pointing. Harry shook his head and as he walked back into the crowd he bumped into a small flaming red head girl who had been watching the entire thing with awe.

"Sorry- Here" He dumped all the books into the little girls hands and turned around "You can have them, I'll buy my own."

The girl looked up and her eyes widened as she stepped back, bumped into another person, and then tumbled to the ground. She stuttered, unable to spit out the words properly that she was attempting to say. It took a few moments for her to become coherent

"Y-You're Harry Potter," the girl stated

"Erm yes? You are?" He asked urgently, only wanting to hurry up and get back to his friend, all the while letting his eyes roam the crowds looking for the blonde-haired boy he would be staying with until the end of the summer. He decided it was pointless because the crowd was mostly made up of adult wizards and witches and would not be able to see over them so he turned his attention back to the little red headed girl still on the ground, still trying to form words.

"G-Ginny W-We-Weasley" she stammered finally, much to Harry's dismay, he was getting a bit agitated and impatient

"Oh" was his only reply as he tugged the girl up into standing position by her arm and turned to walk away

"Harry"

He stopped and turned back around to face the girl, only to be met with the entire Weasley family standing behind the young redhead. His eyes landed on one of the Weasley boys and he raised his brow

"Weasley" he nodded to Ron only to be ignored when Ron turned his face away, Harry noticed the disgusted look on his face. Even though they went through the underground together in the prior year, and sacrificed his chessman piece in the chess match did not mean that they were friends, far from it actually. Harry still had the memories of their not so nice year at Hogwarts.

He scanned the crowd again, his eyes resting on a bushy cinnamon haired girl looking through books in the far corner then his eyes trailed up to her left side and saw a equally bushy haired brown haired woman standing beside her, deep in conversation with a ash brown haired man. Harry realized that they must be Granger's muggle parents, he was sure this still must be pretty odd for them, with not actually knowing or seeing magic until their daughter turned eleven. After another scan of the crowds, he finally saw Draco.

"Potter we-"

Draco had rushed through the crowd and halted when he came up beside Harry and saw the Weasley family. He sneered at the younger Weasley boys and then looked down at the obvious youngest Weasley girl with a smirk playing on his lips

"Bloody Weas-"

Draco bit off his words as a thin black cane with a silver encrusted snake wounding it's way up it rested on his shoulder and turned to see his father, Lucius Malfoy standing behind him, sneering as well, not at the Weasley children but the older Weasley who Harry assumed was their father

"Well, Well if it isn't Arthur Weasley" He said in a calm silky voice

"Lucius" The eldest redhead greeted coldly

"I hear the Ministry has been busy of late, I do hope they are paying over time?" Lucius grabbed a very old, battered looking book out of the youngest Weasley's cauldron and turned it over a few times before smirking

"Apparently not… Dear me, what's the use of being a disgrace to the name of wizards if they don't even pay you well?" Lucius smirked again as he slid the battered book and a smaller black book into the youngest Weasley's cauldron unbeknownst of anyone else. He noticed that there was a lot of tension between the two Elders as they stared daggers at each other and noted Mr. Weasley had turned as red as his hair.

"We have a very different idea of what disgraces the name of wizard, Malfoy" Mr. Weasley replied.

Harry watched the side of Lucius' mouth twitch before he suddenly connected his fist to Mr. Weasley's mouth, his head lolling for a moment before he stood tall as he could go and slammed Lucius into a nearby bookshelf and laid a nice rounded punch directed at Lucius' eye. Books began to fall from above on the higher shelves and hit the children in their heads; Harry put himself over the small girl subconsciously to protect her from the falling books. By this time, Mr. Weasley's wife and a store attendant were breaking up the two adults and had casted a shield charm between them

"Yes well- come on children let's get out of here" Mr. Weasley wiped his mouth with the back of his hand then began to usher his four redheaded children out of the bookstore all the while staring murderously at Lucius. After a few moments to allow, Mr. Malfoy to recompose himself, Harry followed Draco and his father out of the bookstore and followed them through a few more shops, never once re-running into the Weasleys.

"Mr. Malfoy, we didn't get our books," Harry said quietly as they returned to the entrance of Diagon Alley

"I'll send Dobby later to pick them up. We must be getting back to the manor; Mrs. Malfoy is expecting us for dinner." He pulled out a red and black ceramic vase from his robe's inner pocket and held it out to both boys, who both grabbed a side of the vase. Harry felt the familiar, unfamiliar hook behind his navel and quicker than he could re-open his eyes; they had landed on smooth marble tiles.

~ ~ oo ~ ~

"Welcome to Malfoy Manor" Draco smirked, helping Harry up from the floor.

Harry took a good look around the room they had landed in as Lucius rushed out of the room leaving Draco and Harry alone. Harry could barely manage a quiet gasp and then cleared his throat before speaking "It's bloody magnificent!" Harry exclaimed turning around to take in every inch of his surroundings. The rather large room was set with dark purple walls with a beautiful ornate marble mantelpiece, atop it sat a gilded mirror with an intricately gold scrolled frame, and underneath a warm and inviting fire roared silently. Around the room were moving portraits along the walls, which Harry assumed was the ancestry Malfoys. He turned again and noticed in the middle of the room stood a black leather couch and chaise set sitting left and right of an intricate crafted high back chair.

"This is just the drawing room," Draco stated "Just wait until you see the rest"

Harry followed Draco out of the room and through a long thin hallway with more portraits than Harry could count and down two winding flights of stairs and around a corner to another much wider hallway and up three flight of stairs and halted in front of a double door

"This would be your room mate, mine is down the hall, around two corners and down another corridor, and it's the third on the right. I'll meet you back here in half an hour" Before Harry could get a word in; Draco turned and was half way down the corridor by the time Harry turned around. He sighed heavily, opened the doors, and stepped into his new room.

Harry was floored right away; the entire room was larger than the Dursley house if both levels were sitting side by side. It had a large king sized four-poster bed with the Slytherin silver and green colored curtains and bedspread. It was sitting in the middle of the room with two dark chocolate side tables on either side, which held two ornate candelabra. On the far left wall was the same marble fireplace as in the drawing room with a slightly different wall mirror sitting on top of the mantelpiece. Just like in the Slytherin commons, dark chocolate colored leather furniture sat around the fire with a black coffee table between them, another set of double doors sat on the right wall, along with ceiling high bookshelves and a lonely desk sitting in front of them with a table light.

Harry could only stay in a silent awe as he stumbled over to his bed and found his trunk and owl cage sitting at the foot. He opened his trunk and found the items he had purchased today sitting inside and the clothes folded nicely inside. He pulled one of the set of robes he bought and opened the double doors beside the bookshelves and stepped into the bathroom. In the middle of the room, Harry saw an Olympic sized pool for a tub with twenty-seven different taps in which must hold different bubble foam, soaps, and shampoos in them Harry thought. To the left was a large shower and to the left was double set of sinks with their own mirrors hanging on the wall above.

Harry decided that he probably would not have enough time to test out the tub so he walked left around the tub and turned the tap on in the shower and let it run for a minute or so while he stripped and then stepped into the stall under the warm water.

Twenty minutes later Harry was dressed in his new crisp robes with his hair slicked aside, walking down a corridor back down on the main floor alongside Draco

"Your home is a bloody puzzle Malfoy"

Draco smirked and turned left and into an arched doorway. Harry followed into the dining hall, he noted that Mr. Malfoy was already sitting at the head of the long black table and Mrs. Malfoy sat across from her spouse at the other end of the table and Draco sat on the left side and Harry sat across from him on the other side. Just like at Hogwarts, the food materialized on the long table, and was silently served by a couple of young servant girls, Harry felt a pang of guilt when the small framed girl curtsied to him and filled his plate, he knew how she must feel because he did the same when he was growing up at the Dursley's. After the four plates were filled, they ate nearly in silence up until dessert was about to be served

"Goodness Harry it is marvelous that we finally meet!" Mrs. Malfoy smiled at him and placed her hands together on top of the table.

"It is a pleasure to meet you as well Mrs. Malfoy" Harry replied, returning her smile, noting that she was much to his surprise, a very nice woman who obviously loves her son and has no problem with making Draco's friends part of her family.

"Please Narcissa will do. You are one of Draco's closest friends; we do not have to be so formal"

Harry smiled warmly at his host and returned to eating his lemon crème. That night, Harry tossed and turned as a raging storm lit up his room and the crash of thunder rang in his ears, the rain lashed heavily on his bay windows as Harry groaned loudly and swung his legs over the side of the bed and was about to stand when a loud crash issued from his left. Harry spun his head towards the sound and saw a jet of green light come whizzing through his now broken window. He jumped from his bed and crashed into the desk toppling it over with a loud bang just the spell hit at the exact place where his head had been moments ago on the bed.

He fumbled around on the ground to aid him into finding his bedside table so he could get his glasses, as he placed them on his face his worst nightmare stood in front of him _Voldemort_. He was no longer a shadowy half of a man, but rather complete with skin and flesh, wearing a pair of dark grey robes with his head covered by the hood. Harry cried out in shock as Voldemort raised his wand with a cold, high-pitched laugh spoke the two words Harry had heard in his dreams…

"Avada Kedavra"

"Potter wake up you insufferable git!"

A sting to his left cheek made Harry's eyes shoot open and he sat up quickly, too quickly for him he thought as black spots started to pop up, obstructing his vision. He could barely manage to make out the almost shockingly bright blonde hair and the outline of Draco Malfoy sitting in front of him. Laying back down onto the pillow he furrowed his brows and replied

"What-"

"Mate you were rolling around the floor screaming like a bloody banshee. How can anyone get their beauty rest with that bloody noise waking them in the middle of the damn night?"

"Draco!" Narcissa warned, "Watch your language"

"Well-"

Draco shut his mouth quickly when he saw the look his mother was giving him. Harry watched this exchange and snickered, only to be given the very same look she had been giving Draco.

"I was just dreaming is all, sorry about that" Harry looked away, out at the nearby window, noted that the sun was not present, and must be at the very least dawn.

"Nightmare I would say." Lucius stood at the doorway in his black satin dressing gown and had his arms crossed tightly over his chest

"Sorry I woke you all up"

Lucius waved it off with a small effortless hand wave and stepped fully into the room to stand behind his wife "I believe it is time you both learned Occlumency."

"What is that?" Harry and Draco said together, inquiringly

"It will allow you to plainly put, close your mind. It is a very advanced magic, and you two are really both too young, but you will adjust." Lucius explained

"Well, let us all get some more sleep then." Narcissa spoke up as she rose out of her chair and ushering both Draco and Lucius out of the bedroom.

~ ~ oo ~ ~

The next two week following, Harry did indeed start training with Draco and Lucius and he now sat in the parlor with Draco by his side on an early morning training session. Lucius thought it would be more beneficial if they weren't as prepared as they usually are during their afternoon and evening sessions so he woke them at five in the morning to begin their lessons.

"Legilimens!"

For the first time since they had begun a week earlier, Harry was successful in his Occlumens and surprisingly was praised by Lucius.

"Now Draco, Legilimens!"

Harry watched Draco screw up his face in concentration. Lucius smirked and stuffed his wand away

"Good."

The weekend was drawing near. As 3 weeks had already passed and it had came to Narcissa's attention of Harry's birthday and decided on her own that she would have a formal party for him. This night, He and Draco dressed in formal dress robes walked down the last flight of stairs and down a thin hall towards the ballroom. Harry saw a tuft of blonde hair before he was surrounded by it, Daphne had finally come to see him, and he could not be more than happy as he also saw Blaise, Tracey, Theo, Astoria, Pansy, Crabbe, Goyle, and a few other Slytherins from his year walking around the ballroom and dancing.

He spent his night dancing and relaxing in the ballroom with Daphne, finally being introduced to her mother went very well Harry thought. She had wished him a Happy Birthday and regretfully had to dash because she needed to find Lucius. The cake was brought in by a group of house elves with Dobby in the front. It was a magnificent three-tier cake with silver icing and green snakes "slithering" around each cake in different angels and ways. He served, opened presents, which were mostly clothes, books, and tools that would be useful in school, and was sung to by with Harry's embarrassment, the entire house elf staff of the manor with Dobby being the loudest, and the most off-key. He laughed and joked, danced more when Daphne asked, or in some cases Astoria and generally had the time of his life.

The next morning, the young Slytherins who were now staying at the manor until the start of term sat in the kitchen in chairs and or on top of counters for breakfast. They had went to bed in the early morning hours and had been woken abruptly by loud screaming noises ringing through the halls nearly four hours after they had all adjourned to their rooms. Harry found out later that his host must have been doing late night, early morning work for some reason that was never mentioned. He had to admit that it was all a bit odd to him still, hearing about murders, sabotage, and worse of all, death traps for lowly ministry workers. He had numerous of times walked by Mr. Malfoy's office and heard him talking to someone about raids and leaks of news on Death Eater activity was going around the prophet. He once heard that some order something was starting to suspect and were hot on their trails and that they, the Death Eaters needed to lay low for a while because the time was drawing nearer, whatever that meant.

He had been so lost in his thought that he didn't hear Daphne come up to him, nor hear what she was now saying to him. He shook his head slightly to help him be more attentive of what his friend was saying

"Harry, let's walk yes?" Daphne did not wait for an answer as she grabbed his arm and dragged him out of the kitchens. They walked for several hours around the manor and through the lush gardens talking about the coming year and the excitement they shared to be returning and how the spells are to become much harder to produce. They met Draco, Pansy, Blaise, and Theo out on the terrace overlooking the gardens for lunch. The children ate and laughed over the previous year's highlights as one came to Harry's mind, he grinned

"I think the best one has to be the enlarged food." Harry interjected, everyone burst into laughter, nearly falling out of his or her seats.

"I never figured ol' Dumbledore would have enough. I always heard pranks amused him, that's why Peeves is still roaming the halls." Draco replied

"Bloody hell was he mad" Blaise piped up

"Perhaps this year, we'll do better." Harry smirked at them and returned to his food as they all agreed as the house elves cleared the table and the children stood.

"Well, what should we do now?" Pansy asked the group at large, all the while playing with the hem of her shockingly purple blouse. As if on cue, the house elf Dobby popped on to the terrace in front of them and bowed low

"Masters Harry and Mr. Malfoy sirs, you, and your friends are requested sirs by Master Malfoy himself. You are to report to the parlor sirs." He squeaked

"Thank you Dobby" Harry said without thinking, getting odd looks from his friends. Harry shrugged it off and led the way to the parlor. He knew now every twist and turn of the house, being able to explore it at night when he could not sleep was a large contribution to it. The six children entered the parlor after being told to come in even before Harry could knock on the door.

"You wanted to see us sir?" Harry asked

"Yes." He stood from his desk and walked to the middle of the room "I am to begin training you in the art of the Dark Arts. May I introduce you to my lovely sister-in-law, Bellatrix Lestrange? The woman, a head taller than her sister stood behind the couch. She was wearing a black, sleeveless dress that has criss-crossed strings that hold detached sleeves to the dress. Around her middle, as if it were a belt was black leather, average styled stitched pattern that in turn makes it look like a corset. The bodice is tight fitted while the skirt was loose and swayed. The chest and sleeves had grey floral pattern, which Harry thought that when it was new those were probably white. She had long shiny, curly jet-black hair that was frizzy and wild. It was pinned up in a pile on the top of her head angling right with a few strands falling onto her eyes and a murderous look in her dark cold brown eyes.

" 'Ello children" she played a smirk on her lips momentarily before turning her expression to one of indifference and walked along behind the couch and around it towards the six of them, giving each a scrutinizing stare before moving on to the next. "The famous 'arry Potter!" She let out a wicked laugh and poked him in his chest with her wand tip before continuing her scrutiny of the group.

"They will work Lucius! The Dark Lord permits it!" She hissed excitedly, returning to her position behind the couch and looking once more at Harry before turning her full attention back to Lucius.

"Yes, I knew they would dear Bella. Let us begin then." Harry watched Lucius and Bellatrix exchange a look before both pulled out their wands. Harry was quick and pulled his out just in time to cast a shield charm around them as two red sparks came at them, bounced off the shield, and dispelled. The others were looking at him in shock, as well as the two adults in the room.

"Sorry, I'm use to always being on my guard…" Harry muttered, dispelling the shield quickly. Bellatrix smirked and Lucius barked orders to get ready, which startled the group of young Slytherins to raise their wands.

For the rest of the summer Harry learned several spells that were, unfortunately not taught in school. He was now more prepared for the school year as Lucius also taught them some of the spells they would be learning in this year such as Homemun Revelio, that which reveals human presence that is in the vicinity of the caster. Immobulis, which freezes objects, Rictusempra, which tickles the victim and makes them, to put it simply, laugh uncontrollably as the result, and as well as a few others, including ones that they had learned in their first year. They practiced wholeheartedly on each one solely and on each other. His favorite so far was Rictusempra, just because he got to use it on Draco and accidently went a little overboard and made him wet himself. Harry also learned a great deal about Dark Arts and with the aid of Bella; he was able to perform a few.

Harry slept well the night before start of term. In fact, he has slept peacefully every night since he had begun training with Lucius on Occlumency. Before Harry knew it, September 1 was upon them and he, Draco, Pansy, Blaise, and Daphne were standing on platform 9 ¾ about to embark on their second year at Hogwarts.


End file.
